HomeOURConnect Programs
Explore the projects below from across several programs within OURConnect.
Projects
| Term | Active? | Program | Location | Project | Supervisor | Research Area | Description | Type of Work | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Year 2025 | Yes | Individual | West Lafayette | Sustainable Tourism and Destination Stewardship | Gordon J Day | Sustainable Tourism, Destination Management, climate change | In this project, we are tracking activities undertaken by state and local tourism organizations to promote sustainable development and destination stewardship. Particular attention will be paid to climate change planning in US destinations. The project is designed to establish a baseline for these activities in communities across the US and to identify best practice cases. | Students will examine web resources, planning documents, and other reports to identify key trends across destinations. Instruction on content analysis techniques will be provided. Most resources are available online, and students will have flexibility in scheduling their work. | Apply Sustainable Tourism and Destination Stewardship (713) |
| Academic Year 2025 | Yes | Dammon Dean | West Lafayette | Influencing the Revolution: Social Media and Digital Fundraising between the United States and Burma/Myanmar | Courtney Thomas Wittekind | Anthropology; STS; International Studies | The project, Influencing the Revolution: Social Media and Digital Fundraising between the United States and Burma/Myanmar seeks a part-time undergraduate Research Assistant (RA) for the 2025-2026 academic year. The RA will work closely with the Project Director, Professor Courtney Wittekind (Dept. of Anthropology), on developing and implementing this project. The RA will be responsible for reviewing, archiving, and organizing material shared on social media, specifically focusing on Facebook posts related to fundraising efforts in support of Myanmar's Spring Revolution, an anti-authoritarian movement that rejects Myanmar's 2021 coup and calls for the return of democratic rule. No prior experience with social media archiving or analysis is expected, but some training will be required. | Specific responsibilities include: - Completion of CITI course methodological training; - Archiving of posts from ten target Facebook pages focused on online fundraising for Myanmar's Spring Revolution; - Coding of archived posts from target Facebook pages according to established themes; - Ongoing social media monitoring of target pages relevant to the study; - Participation in online focus groups with members of target Facebook pages; - Drafting of a monthly reflection about the material collected as a part of the project. Weekly hours will vary throughout the course of the project and are negotiable based on student. The student will also have the opportunity to participate in presentations at major disciplinary conferences and contribute to scholarly publications as a named team member. | Apply Influencing the Revolution: Social Media and Digital Fundraising between the United States and Burma/Myanmar (1126) |
| Academic Year 2025 | Yes | SPIRaL | West Lafayette | SPIRaL: Climate Change Conversations and Action | Rachel K Fundator | Information Literacy, Information Studies | In the 2025-2026 academic year, SPIRaL will build upon the large-scale Project Information Literacy Climate Study to investigate how fellow Purdue students who are knowledgeable and concerned about climate change use information to 1.) talk productively with others about climate change and 2.) change their behavior regarding climate change action. SPIRaL scholars will interview Purdue undergraduates about their perceptions of productive discourse, how they use evidence to engage in challenging conversations around climate change, and how their experiences with information motivate or demotivate them to engage more in climate change activism. | Qualitative research across an academic-year undergraduate research program Academic credit: ILS 335 (2 credits in fall) and ILS 336 (1 credit in spring) Required in-person research group meetings (likely T/TH 1:20-2:20 pm) Guidance from mentors in the Institute for Information Literacy at Purdue Present or publish research findings | Apply SPIRaL: Climate Change Conversations and Action (1282) |
| Academic Year 2025 | Yes | Dammon Dean | West Lafayette | The Black Games Archive | Samantha Blackmon | English, Computer Science, Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) | The Black Games Archive is a multimedia, public-facing database of games, digital resources, accessible scholarship, and designer interviews that are relevant to the intersections between Black culture and video games. The project will collect, archive, and display written posts, game clips, critical gaming sessions, and interviews. Additionally, the archive will include a robust indexed list of relevant games. | Helping to maintain the existing database by adding and categorizing games (citation information and taxonomy), capturing footage that is representative of the gameplay, and helping to maintain an annotated bibliography. Updating and maintaining the website for the project. | Apply The Black Games Archive (1405) |
| 12-Month 2025 | Yes | PARI Scholars Program | West Lafayette | Hypersonics Undergraduate Researcher: Novel Material Development, Characterization, and Ground Testing of Aerostructures 2025-2026 | Julio Andres Hernandez | Additive Manufacturing, Materials Science, Ceramics and Metallic Alloys, Wind Tunnel Testing | The Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI) Hypersonics Lab (PHL) is seeking motivated undergraduate researchers to support groundbreaking research in hypersonic ground testing, focusing on gas-surface interactions, transpiration cooling, and material responses under extreme conditions. This role offers hands-on experience with advanced experimental techniques, additive manufacturing, and high-enthalpy wind tunnel testing within Purdue's Hypersonic and Applied Research Facility (HARF). It is important to note that prior laboratory or research experience is not required. | Key Responsibilities: • Assist in the design, fabrication, and testing of model aerostructures and nose cones using advanced additive manufacturing (AM) techniques. • Support ceramics materials development for use in digital light projection (DLP) AM. • Prepare porous ceramic and metal samples for transpiration cooling experiments, metrology, and characterization. • Support high-speed diagnostics, including schlieren imaging, and other optical measurement methods to capture aerodynamic behavior of AM produced aerostructures • Collect, process, and analyze experimental data related to thermo-mechanical testing, boundary layer interactions, ablation, and oxidation kinetics. • Collaborate with PARI staff, Purdue faculty, and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) mentors to advance hypersonic testing capabilities. Opportunities for Professional Growth: • Hands-on training with state-of-the-art facilities, including the HYPULSE reflected shock/expansion tunnel and advanced additive manufacturing equipment. • Mentorship from leading researchers in Hypersonics and direct engagement with AFRL projects. • Development of technical skills relevant to aerospace testing, data analysis, and experimental mechanics. • Potential for multi-year involvement throughout the life of the project (i.e., continued support through the academic semesters and summers) or full-time employment post-graduation. | Apply Hypersonics Undergraduate Researcher: Novel Material Development, Characterization, and Ground Testing of Aerostructures 2025-2026 (1452) |
| Academic Year 2025 | Yes | Dammon Dean | West Lafayette | Documenting Endangered Languages | Elena E Benedicto | Linguistics | For the last 30 years, the field of linguistics has become aware and has invested in documenting those languages of the world that are at risk of disappearing, that is, of losing the last speakers. However, what is exactly the best way to proceed in these cases, and for whose benefit do we do documentation: for the sake of the linguistic community (science and academia) or for the sake of the speaking community? is it a choice of either/or, or do we have a way of articulating both needs? Approached such as Participatory Action Research or Community engaged research are some of the approaches that have been attempted, but the devil is in the details and, as embedded in the world of academia, students and researchers do not always keep in mind what the ultimate objective is. | students will be trained on the mechanics of language documentation (obtaining and processing language data), as well as in the philosophical and ethical debates currently existing in the field. Students will embed themselves in some of the active projects in the IELLab currently working on the engaged documentation of an at-risk languages. | Apply Documenting Endangered Languages (1589) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Individual | West Lafayette | Feedback Internship Program | Sarah R Renkert | Anthropology, Ethnography | THIS APPLICATION IS CLOSED! About Feedback Feedback specializes in developing contextual voice-of-the-consumer research through digital channels to reveal how audiences speak to peers, make decisions, and compare services. Feedback helps clients understand their audiences in ways that automated technologies simply cannot. Using a unique HumanFilter social listening process to conduct ethnographic research, Feedback’s hand-trained data scientists observe behaviors, identify preferences and channels, develop decision pathways, and analyze findings. To learn more about Feedback, please review their website: https://discoverfeedback.com/ The Feedback Internship opportunity will include: • Initial training on Feedback’s ethnographic research methodologies and data systems using a mock-project • Successful interns will improve their skills in the following areas: 1) ethnographically sound inferences; 2) broad-ranging channel discovery instincts; 3) analytical coverage/depth; and 4) general diligence toward addressing segments of a research plan | Interns will be responsible for: • Providing supplemental assistance as needed on virtual ethnographic projects – producing field notes and analysis • Collaborate in producing client deliverables • Advance interns will assist in adding/building out contextual data in deliverables, proofing the research database, and supporting data analysis Time Commitment and Remuneration • Initial training is approximately 8 hours • Work on projects after training varies based on interest and availability but typically covers 20 hours • Position is fully remote • $500 stipend | Apply Feedback Internship Program (1674) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Sustainability Central: Understanding the Past to Build the Future | Sarah R Renkert | Anthropology, Ethnography | THIS APPLICATION IS CLOSED. This internship supports Sustainability Central, a Cincinnati-based organization developing a sustainability campus centered on urban agriculture, composting, and community-driven nonprofit work. The intern will conduct archival newspaper research and remote interviews to document how nearby residents were affected by the former gun range located on the proposed campus site. | Archival, Interviews, Participant Observation | Apply Sustainability Central: Understanding the Past to Build the Future (1682) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Before the Euromissiles: Transatlantic Nuclear Strategy, 1954-74 | Austin Rory Cooper | History | What role did nuclear weapons play in forging the transatlantic bargain, the idea that the United States should backstop the security of Western Europe? This project investigates that familiar question along two novel axes. First, this project excavates criticism of the initial US provision of extended nuclear deterrence to Western European allies. Key questions include foreign nuclear deployment, nuclear sharing (esp. dual-key operations), predelegation, airborne and ground alert(s), recall procedures, plans for missile defense, safety protocols, and accidents. Second, this project examines the growing role of smaller nuclear powers, including France, during the 1970s. | Transcription and analysis of archival documents; coding documents for digital database; organization of documents; citing documents and creating reference lists | Apply Before the Euromissiles: Transatlantic Nuclear Strategy, 1954-74 (1684) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Respiratory infection in the Ancient Nile Valley | Michele R Buzon | Bioarchaeology | This project investigates the skeletal evidence for respiratory disease in the Ancient Nile Valley. Individuals from the site of Tombos are examined for signs of sinus and lung infection. In order to study potential causes of infection, the intern will collect data on rib fractures to determine if injury contributed to the frequency of respiratory infection. | Skeletal data collection of rib fractures, analysis of data, literature review, writing of article manuscript | Apply Respiratory infection in the Ancient Nile Valley (1687) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Ethics and Moral Judgments in Human-AI Co-creation | Hyesun Choung | Generative AI, Human-AI Interactions, Ethics of AI, Communication | This project investigates how people assign authorship, ownership, and moral responsibility in creative works produced collaboratively by humans and artificial intelligence (AI). Using experiments and in-depth interviews, the study examines how moral patiency (perceptions of an entity’s capacity to be harmed) and ownership perceptions influence judgments of fairness, originality, and proper credit attribution in human-AI collaboration. Students participating in this project will: - Develop skills in experimental design, data collection, and both quantitative and qualitative analysis. - Gain hands-on experience conducting interviews and thematic coding of transcripts. - Learn to critically examine ethical and psychological questions about AI and creativity. - Contribute to manuscript preparation, conference presentations, and research posters, with opportunities for authorship. | Students will be actively involved in all stages of the research process. Responsibilities include: - Assisting with lab-based experiments on human-AI creative collaboration. - Conducting interviews and engaging in thematic coding and transcript analysis. - Participating in weekly lab meetings to discuss progress, refine research questions, and interpret findings. - Contributing to literature reviews, data analysis, and visualization of results. | Apply Ethics and Moral Judgments in Human-AI Co-creation (1688) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Signals of Trust: An Experimental Study on the Conditions Under Which Trust Translates to Cooperation | Joshua Franklin Doyle | Sociology, Social Psychology, Experimental Social Science | Dr. Joshua Doyle (Sociology) is seeking a motivated undergraduate research assistant to help run a behavioral experiment exploring how institutions influence trust and cooperation. The project builds on classic studies in social psychology and economics to examine how one kind of experience--being in a situation where someone could punish you for not cooperating--might shape your willingness to cooperate with others in a totally different setting. In the experiment, participants will first answer questions about how much they trust other people. Then, they will play a version of the “trust game,” where one player decides how much to send to another, knowing that the amount will triple and the second player decides how much to send back. In some versions of the game, the first player has the option to punish the second player if they don’t send enough back. Participants are always in the second-player role. After that, participants will play a public goods game with a new group, deciding how much of their money to contribute to a shared pot that benefits everyone. The main question is: does the experience of being in a trust game with or without punishment affect how generous people are in a later situation with different people? This position is ideal for students interested in social psychology, political behavior, cooperation, or experimental methods. Tasks will include setting up lab sessions, helping run the experiment using LIONESS Lab, and possibly contributing to data cleaning or analysis. Prior experience with research is helpful but not required. Training will be provided. | The research assistant will help with setting up and admistering experimental sessions and once the experiment is done, they will aid Dr. Doyle with cleaning the data. | Apply Signals of Trust: An Experimental Study on the Conditions Under Which Trust Translates to Cooperation (1690) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Beyond Text: Supporting Research-based Creative Projects through Purdue’s ALab | Dada Docot | Anthropology, Arts, Media, Interdisciplinary Studies | The student researcher will support faculty (lab co-directors Dr. Dada Docot and Dr. Courtney Wittekind) in Purdue’s Department of Anthropology as they run and hold activities at the ALab, a lab focused on creative approaches to scholarly engagement. The ALab is an exhibition and laboratory space in Schleman Hall 300 that provides an art gallery/exhibition space, multimedia equipment, and material resources for faculty, students, staff, and the public to gather, create, and share creative work. Interested students can learn more about the Alab at: https://www.the-alab.com/ | The student researcher has an opportunity to support the development of the ALab during the Spring 2026 period, brainstorming, planning, and documenting events. The student researcher will also work with the ALab team to host visitors during the academic year and investigate various strategies in disseminating information about creative approaches to academic scholarship broadly. Through working to support the Alab, student researchers will develop skills in qualitative research communication, collaborative multimodal anthropology work, ethnographic and qualitative teaming, and relational research and praxis. Previous Wilke interns have contributed to the documentation of our exhibitions, created posters and zines about the ALab's work, held interviews with exhibiting artists, and hosted class visits during exhibitions. | Apply Beyond Text: Supporting Research-based Creative Projects through Purdue’s ALab (1691) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Value and Connection in Lafayette Local Food | Andrew T Flachs | Anthropology | What is the impact of a heritage farm on the local community? In this project, a student will conduct anthropological research to ask about the different kinds of social and ecological value produced by an Indiana orchard. Topics will include contributions to local biodiversity, land management, value created, and applied research with key stakeholders. Steve Hallett of Horticulture will serve as a research collaborator. | The intern will conduct interviews, participant observation, GPS data collection and analysis, and field ecology. Over the course of the internship, the student will collect these data, analyze them, and create a report to share with stakeholders. | Apply Value and Connection in Lafayette Local Food (1694) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Mountain Ethnobiology Storymap | Andrew T Flachs | Anthropology, environmental science | The intern will create an interactive StoryMap using ESRI software to accompany a forthcoming volume on mountain Ethnobiology and climate change. The goal is to create an editable shell to be used for the eventual website. | This will entail creating a shell of the StoryMap website and working with volume contributors to identify research sites, upload photos and text, and add other content. | Apply Mountain Ethnobiology Storymap (1695) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | School lunch policy analysis | Andrew T Flachs | Anthropology | The intern will collect federal and state school lunch policies and look for best practices in connecting local food economies and school lunch programs. | The intern will collect these data and summarize their findings to get a sense how universal meal policies, state buying programs, and rural economies intersect. | Apply School lunch policy analysis (1696) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Southeast Asia in the Midwest Initiative | Dada Docot | Southeast Asia, Asian Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies | The student research will support Dr. Docot as she establishes Purdue's Southeast Asia in the Midwest Initiative (SEAM Initiative) that brings together experts, scholars, artists, and community members in the Midwest whose academic and creative interests touch on Southeast Asia. The initiative advances research on Southeast Asia in the Midwest, opens space for knowledge exchange and intercultural understanding, and provides expertise on Southeast Asia at Purdue and beyond. | The student intern will support Dr. Dada Docot in developing the SEAM Initiative in Fall 2025 (and also potentially Spring 2026). The student will help with planning and documenting events. The intern will also build the initiative a public-facing website. | Apply Southeast Asia in the Midwest Initiative (1698) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | FAIRWORK: Forecasting AI Risks and Impacts on the Workforce | Daniel Stuart Schiff | Political Science | The FAIRWORK project is an ongoing initiative to investigate the risks and impacts of how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping labor markets, job structures, and workforce policy. The core of the project includes a systematic review and extensive qualitative coding of more than a thousand academic studies. This project will report on the goal and role of AI in the labor market, ethical and societal considerations, structural job and institutional impacts, and policy and governance responses to AI. Future research will build on these findings and survey the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of key policymakers and stakeholders across sectors to further characterize and define the risks and impacts of AI on the workforce. | Students will be responsible for conducting data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation activities. This includes assisting in the design and development of AI-assisted research methods to collect and screen data on AI’s impact on work, conducting qualitative coding on a large collection of academic records to deductively analyze research outcomes, and deriving research insights from methodological and analytic findings to contribute to public dissemination. Interdisciplinary skillsets are valued to synthesize findings and define appropriate forecasting measures across a wide range of policy, sociology, engineering, medical, economics, technology, and other literature. The outputs of this work will be made available in both online databases and academic venues such as journal papers and conference proceedings. Students will work with faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students at Purdue University and also have the opportunity to work with professors and students from Virginia Commonwealth University and National University of Singapore. | Apply FAIRWORK: Forecasting AI Risks and Impacts on the Workforce (1699) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Suing the Government for Money & Policy Change | Logan R Strother | political science, public law | The United States Court of (Federal) Claims is a little-studied but crucially important federal court. Its primary duty is to resolve money and contract claims made against the national government. In doing so, however, it plays an important role in implementing federal policy; for this reason, it is a frequent site of litigation against government policies. People sue the government in the Court of Federal Claims for a huge variety of reasons, including enforcement of Indigenous peoples’ rights under treaties, reparations for wrongful criminal convictions, natural disaster mitigation actions, management of water rights, enforcement of intellectual property rights (e.g., patent and copyright), and much more. Despite its importance, the work of the Court of Claims has not received the attention it deserves from scholars. The Court of Claims Lab is working to fix that. Once complete, the Court of Claims Database will be hosted here and publicly available for all to use. | reading and coding court cases | Apply Suing the Government for Money & Policy Change (1700) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | A History of Student Organizations at Purdue | Jennifer L Bay | History, Professional Writing, English, Anthropology, Sociology, Interdisciplinary Studies | Student organizations at Purdue play a powerful role in the development of students. Not only do they provide extracurricular activities and collegiality, but they also allow students to develop leadership and management skills. There have been literally thousands of student organizations at Purdue—traditional fraternities and sororities, co-operatives, clubs for particular majors, philanthropic organizations, affinity-based groups, social clubs, and more. The diversity of student organizations shows how community serves as a foundation of campus life that enhances personal growth, professional development, and intellectual advancement. This book project seeks to document the rich and complex history of these groups, narrating their development and demonstrating the impact they have made on students. | Students will have the opportunity to work with archival collections to find photos, images, textual history, and other artifacts that can demonstrate the development of this history. There may be opportunities to write some of the history, based on student interest and ability. Students may also be able to participate in interviewing key figures who have been involved in student orgs and activities. We can do in-person or hybrid work, as desired. | Apply A History of Student Organizations at Purdue (1712) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Sign Languages | Elena E Benedicto | Linguistics | The Sign Language project is centered around identifying the grammatical morpho-syntactic properties of different sign languages, which are characterized by using the body (hands, face, full body) in space as articulators, and vision as the perceptual mode. We work on ASL as well as on smaller SLs across Latin America. | The student works on ELAN (a lignuistic-dedicated software) to identify and code morphological units of SL recordings. Student will be trained by IELLab personnel in the use of the software and the use of codes. | Apply Sign Languages (1715) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Indigenous Languages | Elena E Benedicto | Linguistics | This is a multi-faceted project dealing with all aspects of an endangered language and is framed within the research activities of the Indigenous and Endangered Languages Lab (IELLab). Endangered languages present a very specific and at the same time complex linguistic situation. Work on them may include work on a dictionary, on diagramming school materials, on preparing and adapting webpages, on coding and analyzing linguistic productions, etc... We are currently working on a dictionary project and may reopen an older project on the traditional use of plants in the forest. Mayangna is an indigenous language of Nicaragua. (Note: We do not align with any missionary work and respect all traditional practices of indigenous peoples.) | Depending on their qualifications, the intern may be selected to work on: - preparing dictionary entries for a Mayangna dictionary - introducing the English translations in a Mayangna dictionary (knowledge of Spanish will be a plus), Other potential tasks may be: - adapting the materials we already have into a web-based interface (computer skills, a plus) - designing a website on the work conducted on the project. - diagramming school materials (knowledge of Photoshop and related software, a plus) -coding language samples (for students with incline for Linguistics). Specific training will be provided. | Apply Indigenous Languages (1716) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Purdue Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Initiative | Andrew Harold Bellisari | History, Anthropology, Archaeology, International Relations, Asian Studies | The Purdue Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Initiative seeks three (3) undergraduate interns to support Purdue University’s emerging partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to locate, identify, and repatriate the unrecovered remains of US military personnel from past military conflicts. Interns will work closely with the project director, Dr. Andrew Bellisari (History Department), to conduct preliminary research into MIA cases from the Vietnam War, focusing initially on five Purdue alumni whose remains have not yet been located within the territorial boundaries and waters of Vietnam. Interns will also support activities related to the development of a future Missing-In-Action Accounting and Recovery Center (MARC) at Purdue. | Undergraduate team members should expect to engage in or support the following tasks: Research & Analysis 1. Apply historical research methodologies to investigate unresolved MIA cases, including archival research, oral history, and secondary source analysis. 2. Navigate and utilize federal, state, military, and private archives to extract relevant data for case development. 3. Critically evaluate diverse historical sources (e.g., memoirs, news reports, official histories) to reconstruct circumstances of loss. 4. Conduct and interpret oral history interviews, demonstrating sensitivity to cultural and linguistic contexts, including Vietnamese language materials where applicable. 5. Collect and analyze geospatial data using GIS tools to support historical and geographical reconstructions of MIA cases. Communication & Collaboration 1. Prepare and deliver research reports and presentations tailored to academic, governmental, and public audiences. 2. Collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary research teams, contributing to shared goals and participating in regular project meetings. 3. Engage with stakeholders and potential partners within Purdue and other communities of interest to support the development of the MARC initiative. Technical & Administrative Skills 1. Organize and maintain digital research databases, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and accessibility of project data. 2. Transcribe, translate, and edit historical documents for use in research and public dissemination. 3. Perform administrative tasks essential to the operation of a research initiative, including scheduling, documentation, and reporting. Professional Development 1. Demonstrate familiarity with DPAA protocols and methodologies, including ethical standards and operational procedures. 2. Reflect on the ethical dimensions of MIA recovery work, including issues of memory, identity, and national responsibility. 3. Explore career pathways in public history, military history, forensic anthropology, and international relations through hands-on experience and mentorship. Independent Research Experience 1. Independently research and present findings on a selected MIA case, synthesizing archival, oral, and spatial data into a coherent narrative and actionable report. Weekly hours will vary throughout the course of the project and are negotiable based on intern availability, but applicants should anticipate 5-8 hours of work each week (on average) during the 2025-2026 academic year. | Apply Purdue Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Initiative (1717) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Lead-Poisoned Water and Community Activism | Elizabeth A Hoffmann | sociology, law and society, environmental studies, political science | Many communities with older housing have lead pipes that deliver their city's water to their homes. Lead in drinking water can cause many health problems, particularly in young children, babies, and pregnant women. The difficulty of lead contamination is that it is very hard to detect. This means that community activism and resident awareness requires substantial trust in authorities and in complicated science. | This project is its earlier stages. Wilke undergraduate research assistants would work on library research to uncover what past studies apply to this current work and also preliminary coding of project data. Skills for both aspects will be taught to the intern, so no previous experience is necessary. | Apply Lead-Poisoned Water and Community Activism (1719) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Individual | West Lafayette | Curriculum Innovation in Sustainability and Environmental Engineering | Xinyu Zhang | Engineering Education | This project will investigate curriculum innovation opportunities in the School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering, including but not limited to (1) support program for veterans/service members, (2) global competency for the field of sustainability and environmental engineering, and (3) sustainability curricular integration in engineering. The research course to register could be the EEE 49800 (https://engineering.purdue.edu/EEE/Academics/CurrentStudents/UndergraduateResearchEEE) or a research/project/capstone course from your discipline or Honors college. Interested students should submit the following application materials: (1) resume, (2) your former writing sample of literature summary/review (previous course work or other project work is fine), and (3) your interests and experience in education research. Please combine all three documents into one file and upload them to the resume location. Additionally, submit the transcript. | Conduct literature review; identify partners for undergraduate study abroad design/research projects; prepare data cleaning and data analysis for quantitative/qualitative data; support writing scientific papers and preparing conference presentations. | Apply Curriculum Innovation in Sustainability and Environmental Engineering (1720) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Breastfeeding and Legality | Elizabeth A Hoffmann | sociology, law & Society, Women & Gender Studies, political science | Breastfeeding, though a private act, often faces various laws and legal regulations. Ranging from the right to nurse in public, to accommodations for milk expression, to prisoners' infants breastfeeding rights, breastfeeding "runs into the law" at many angles. This project explores how the law and breastfeeding interact in these many ways. | library research | Apply Breastfeeding and Legality (1722) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Why do we say the things we do? Studying patterns in relative clause placement | Elaine J Francis | Corpus linguistics, language use, relative clause, linguistic annotation | We can use different sentence structures to express similar meanings. For example, a relative clause can be placed in different positions of an English sentence. It can appear right after the noun (e.g., The book that I bought yesterday is great), or it can be moved to the end (e.g., The book is great that I bought yesterday). This phenomenon is called extraposition. Why do speakers sometimes choose one sentence structure over the other? We aim to answer this question by investigating what linguistic factors (e.g., relative clause length, definiteness, information density) influence this choice, and how they do so, by combining human annotation and computational methods. Students will contribute to a research pipeline in which annotated linguistic features are used to build and evaluate information-theoretic and machine-learning models of grammatical choice. | The interns’ main responsibilities will involve assisting with linguistic feature annotation, for example, labeling the length of different sentence segments, determining whether a subject is definite or indefinite, and identifying the type of predicate. As part of this role, you will gain hands-on experience with linguistic annotation, learn how linguists analyze sentence structure choices, and work closely with a graduate researcher. Depending on your contribution and the progress of the project, you also have potential opportunity to present your work at the undergraduate research symposium. | Apply Why do we say the things we do? Studying patterns in relative clause placement (1724) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Global Security, Technology, and Violence: Making the Modern World | Christopher Ewing | History, Cold War Studies, Critical Criminology | The Global Security, Technology, and Violence History Lab is a new student-centered research initiative that studies historical questions with contemporary import. The lab is currently running three projects - Purdue in the Cold War, Military Service and Political Partisanship, and Digital Hate Crime Mapping - and presenting initial findings in the form of research posts, ArcGIS Story Maps, and, in the case of the latter project, an interactive crime map. Work takes place in conjunction with an undergraduate lab course, integrating student research in to faculty projects. | Interns will be assigned to one of the three projects with the express goal of transforming lab research into concrete outputs. Interns will be asked to assist other lab members in the interpretation and publication of their research, while also having the opportunity to publish on their own or collaboratively via the lab website. External authorship opportunities may arise and students will be invited to contribute on a case-by-case basis. | Apply Global Security, Technology, and Violence: Making the Modern World (1725) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Shakespeare's Theaterscape | Paul W White | GIS, Data Mining, Drama History, | Our project creates interactive maps for four major early modern playhouse districts in Shakespeare's London: the Blackfriars, the Cockpit, the Curtain, and the Fortune. These maps are accompanied by curated documentary materials that give insight into the urban contexts that surrounded 16th- and 17th-century playhouses. Doing so, we start to explore what it was like to live near, work in, or visit a playhouse in Shakespeare’s London: who ran businesses nearby? What routes did people take to and from these areas? What was theatre’s relationship to the parish church? Who were the movers and shakers in playhouse communities, where did they live, and what did they do? | 1) helping out with Renaissance English manuscript transcription (using AI-enhanced handwritten text recognition software: Transcribus; 2) learning (if necessary) rudiments of GIS mapping and building online maps of London playhouse neighborhoods; 3) completing spreadsheets documenting people, institutions, places, events from research on sixteenth century texts (printed and in mss form; completing other information-gathering tasks and critical analysis. Lots of options here. | Apply Shakespeare's Theaterscape (1731) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | PXML | West Lafayette | Elementary Topics in C*-Dynamics | Thomas J Sinclair | Mathematics | In this project, our objective is to study a class of algebras called C*-algebras. These algebras play an important role in functional analysis, mathematical physics, and noncommutative geometry. We will begin by introducing the definition of C*-algebras and study some basic examples of such algebras. After that, we will continue to study finite group actions on C*-algebra and the associated construction known as the crossed product C*-algebra, also called C*-dynamics. We will focus on understanding the basic properties of crossed products by basic examples and simple results. The goal of this project is to introduce undergraduate students to C*-algebras and group actions by developing intuition through examples and emphasizing basic ideas rather than technical details. | Course-based, vertically-integrated research projects in mathematics. Each project will consist of a small research team consisting of typically 2-4 undergraduates, a graduate mentor, and a faculty mentor. The graduate mentor and undergraduates will meet on a weekly basis, with full team meetings every few weeks as determined by the faculty mentor. To apply include a brief (one page or less) statement explaining your interest in mathematics research. Additionally, list all mathematics courses you have taken with your grade in each one, as well as any other coursework or qualifications that you feel are pertinent. Undergraduates who have been accepted into a project must sign up for the 3-credit "Purdue Experimental Math Lab" course (currently listed under MA 490) and must pledge that they are able to dedicate 10 hours of effort per week to the project. | Apply Elementary Topics in C*-Dynamics (1732) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Truth-value judgment tasks with second language learners: research methods validation and refinement | Shaohua Fang | Linguistics, psycholinguistics, second language acquisition | This project aims to validate and refine an experimental method known as the truth-value judgment task (TVJT). In this method, participants read a short story presented in written or pictorial form and are asked to judge whether a given sentence accurately matches the context. Although TVJTs are widely used in language research, their implementation varies considerably in practice, and these methodological differences can have important theoretical implications. In this project, we will conduct a series of human experiments with second-language learners, primarily Chinese-speaking learners of English, to examine how different design features of the task influence language interpretation performance. The project is led by Dr. Shaohua Fang, in collaboration with Prof. Elaine Francis. | The undergraduate research assistants (RAs) will assist with the development of experimental materials and participate in regular meetings with the principal investigator and Prof. Elaine Francis. A primary responsibility of the position is crafting short story contexts in English (approximately 150–200 words) for use in language experiments. RAs will use ChatGPT or other readily available AI tools to generate initial drafts and then revise and adapt these materials to meet specific research requirements. In addition, RAs will help create pictorial versions of story contexts, also using AI-based tools, for experiments that employ visual stimuli. | Apply Truth-value judgment tasks with second language learners: research methods validation and refinement (1733) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Maternal-child global health research | Amanda J Veile | anthropology, biology, health sciences, public health | Interns are sought to assist with a variety of projects, with a primary focus on global maternal and child health. | Depending on their interests and skills, interns may contribute to literature reviews; data entry, management, and analysis; manuscript writing and editing; development of presentations and conference materials; and wet lab work (e.g., ELISA/enzyme-linked immunoassays). Opportunities for co-authorship on publications and for presenting research at national meetings may be available. | Apply Maternal-child global health research (1734) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Norms and Social Ontology in Human–Computer Interaction | Javier Gomez-Lavin | Philosophy, Computer Science, AI, Economics, Psychology | This project investigates how people understand fairness, cooperation, and social norms when interacting with computers or AI agents instead of human partners. It draws on classic work by Gilbert in social ontology and on foundational experiments in behavioral game theory. Scholars argues that many social norms cannot be reduced to individual choices or game-theoretic strategies, because they depend on joint commitments between people. Our experimental philosophy study aims to this idea directly. We will compare how participants behave when they believe they are playing a fairness-game with a human, computer, or AI system. Prior research suggests that people may act “irrationally" when they think a human is responsible, but behave more “rationally" when interacting with a computer. We want to measure these patterns using updated methods to see whether attributions of agency and normativity change in technologically mediated contexts. | Students may contribute to any of the following: assisting with experiment design, helping program simple game-theoretic tasks, recruiting and scheduling participants for in-lab testing sessions, running study sessions in the VRAI Lab, helping with data cleaning and statistical analysis (R/SPSS; training provided), reading and summarizing relevant literature (Gilbert, Bicchieri, game-theory, x-phi methods), co-writing short research summaries, posters, or presentation materials | Apply Norms and Social Ontology in Human–Computer Interaction (1735) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Isotopes of Stored foods | Melanie M. Beasley | Anthropology | Student will assist in the BIER Lab preparing isotope samples for a new research project associated with stored foods. | Bench lab work: weighing, chemical prep, cataloging | Apply Isotopes of Stored foods (1739) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Effects of verb meaning and context on relative clause placement | Elaine J Francis | Experimental linguistics, language use, relative clause, linguistic annotation | English speakers have a choice between a complex discontinuous structure, known as relative clause extraposition (RCE), and a simpler adjacent (ADJ) order (1a-b). 1. (a) A reporter showed up who wanted to ask questions. (RCE) (b) A reporter who wanted to ask questions showed up. (ADJ) Why should speakers ever choose RCE? Previous studies have suggested that RCE is more likely to be used when the main verb expresses an "appearance" meaning (e.g. appeared, showed up) and the prior discourse context makes the verb less prominent. However, no previous studies have tested both of these factors to see how they interact. The current study uses a spoken sentence production task to experimentally investigate how verb type and context jointly influence speakers' choice of structure. | Your main responsibilities will involve assisting with linguistic coding of English sentences spoken by experiment participants. For example, you will listen to each sentence, transcribe it, and describe certain linguistic features. In addition to assisting with coding, you will read and discuss relevant research papers to gain a fuller understanding of the concepts behind the project and you will have the opportunity to present your work at the spring undergraduate research symposium. | Apply Effects of verb meaning and context on relative clause placement (1740) |
| Spring 2026 | Yes | Wilke | West Lafayette | Human Rights Instruments in Meaning and Usage | Rebekah A Klein-Pejsova | History | This project centers on exploring the evolving concept of human rights, with special attention to development, institutionalization, and strategies for implementation since 1945, and especially following the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. We shall be concentrating on the meaning and usage of human rights instruments within an increasingly globalized context, the range of expression and application of these for understanding responses to human rights violations. | Participants in this project will work with the RA and Director of the Human Rights Program to envision and organize a series of Human Rights Lab events, including a showcase of undergraduate and graduate research in human rights studies, an alumnus speaker event, and will continue to engage with their own research topics in the field with the goal of presenting that work for the Human Rights Program. | Apply Human Rights Instruments in Meaning and Usage (1741) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Community Pathway Intelligence Platform - Turning Interview into Structured Insights | Yingjie Chen | Global Health | Substance misuse—including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs—creates substantial health and societal harms worldwide. Yet many communities continue to struggle to prevent and respond to substance use, often citing limited healthcare access, workforce shortages, transportation barriers, and fragmented service delivery as persistent barriers. Building a recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) requires a practical, system-level understanding of how people actually move through local supports over time, including where they disengage, what prompts re-engagement, and which cross-system handoffs create gaps. Community organizations and coalitions frequently seek this insight by conducting interviews with people who have lived experience of substance use and then analyzing their recovery pathways. However, a major limitation of this interview-based approach is the difficulty of converting rich, narrative data into a clear, holistic, and actionable picture of the local system. Interview narratives are often story-based, fragmented, and non-linear; they rarely follow a simple “use ? treatment ? recovery” progression and instead describe repeated relapse–recovery cycles, interrupted treatment episodes, periods of informal recovery outside formal services, and parallel involvement with healthcare, justice, and social service systems. When many unique trajectories are combined using conventional summaries or simple flow diagrams, the result can become either oversimplified or an unreadable “spaghetti map,” obscuring common patterns and system bottlenecks that coalitions need to prioritize interventions. Therefore, there is a critical need for an advanced pathway mapping tool that translates qualitative interview narratives into standardized, coalition-ready pathway representations—highlighting recurring transitions, shared gaps, and cross-sector touchpoints—to support planning and implementation of community-based, evidence-informed actions. The full scope of this project contains multiple tasks: Task 1: Design an LLM-augmented interview-to-pathway translation engine that processes multi-modal unstructured data and converts them into structured objects and relations. Task 2: Build an interactive visualization platform for visualizing, exploring, annotating, and refining pathway maps with aid of an embedded graph analytics module. Task 3: Integrate AI frameworks for tailoring and quantification of community-specific pathway maps and a reinforcement learning framework for human-AI shared action-planning. During summer 2026, we will work on task 1, turning unstructured multimodal interview data into structed data for future processing and visualization. | Software system development involving Python and AI integration. | Apply Community Pathway Intelligence Platform - Turning Interview into Structured Insights (1742) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Efficient and sustainable water technology | David E M Warsinger | Membrane science, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, species transport, materials science | Water and energy are tightly linked resources that must both become renewable for a successful future. However, today, water and energy resources are often in conflict with one another, especially related to impacts on electric grids. Further, advances in nanotechnology, material science and artificial intelligence allow for new avenues to improve the widespread implementation of desalination and water purification technology. Our lab’s project aims to explore nanofabricated membranes, light-driven reactions, artificial intelligence control algorithms, and thermodynamic optimization of systems. Our projects include hybrids of reverse osmosis desalination with renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydro), as well as other topics such as filtration, water treatment, and water vapor harvesting. | The student(s) will be responsible for fabricating membranes, building hydraulic systems, modeling thermal fluid phenomenon, analyzing data, and/or implementing control strategies in novel system configurations. The lab also works on separation processes for water in air, including HVAC dehumidification and removing aerosols. More information here: www.warsinger.com | Apply Efficient and sustainable water technology (1744) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Machine-Learning enabled Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in Pediatric Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms | Craig J Goergen | Global Health | According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with over 75% of deaths resulting from cardiovascular disease being in lower- and middle-income countries. One type of cardiovascular disease is the development of aortic aneurysms. Aortic aneurysms result from weakness in the aortic wall that leads to wall expansion and ballooning. Aortic wall dissection can follow this expansion, ultimately leading to rupture of the aorta, which has a very high mortality rate. The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis: distinct genetic and clinical etiologies of aortic root (the portion of the aorta originating from the heart) dilation, namely Marfan Syndrome (MFS), bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), and idiopathic, present with unique biomechanical phenotypes of the aortic root. Comparing patients within these groups provides an opportunity to identify mechanistic differences that current standard approaches do not reveal. Echocardiograms obtained from pediatric patients at Riley Hospital for Children will be used to develop and train machine learning models to test the hypothesis, that will eventually affect the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of pediatric ATAAs, based on the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. | Students selected for this project would be expected to assist with extracting phenotypical data from echocardiograms using previously developed deep learning models, performing linear mixed-effects regression to evaluate genotype-phenotype associations while adjusting for age, sex, and body surface area, and the development and validation of unsupervised clustering algorithms to test these correlations within and between the clinical groups. They will also have the opportunity to conduct comparative statistical analyses of the quantified metrics obtained from deep learning models and board-certified pediatric cardiologists (for example, Dr. Landis, a collaborator on this project). | Apply Machine-Learning enabled Genotype-Phenotype Correlation in Pediatric Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (1745) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Evaluating Hallucinations in AI-Generated Storyboards for Human-Centered Design | Tianyi Li | Human–Computer Interaction; Artificial Intelligence; Design Research; Computing Education | Text vignettes are carefully designed research instruments used to study people’s perceptions and decisions. When AI tools generate visual storyboards from these vignettes, they may introduce unintended details (“hallucinations”) that change the meaning of the original scenario. This project investigates how faithfully AI-generated storyboards preserve the controlled elements of vignette-based studies. Students will help compare original text scenarios with AI-generated visuals, identify where meaning shifts occur, and evaluate how these changes could bias research findings. The goal is to develop guidelines for using AI responsibly in human-centered research and design. | Students will contribute to: Generating AI storyboards from carefully controlled research vignettes Systematically comparing visual outputs with original experimental scenarios Coding deviations that alter meaning, context, or participant interpretation Evaluating how these deviations may threaten validity of research instruments Assisting with analysis, visualization, and research documentation Students will gain experience in HCI research methods, trustworthy AI evaluation, and experimental design. | Apply Evaluating Hallucinations in AI-Generated Storyboards for Human-Centered Design (1760) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Denial and Punishment in NATO's Cold War Theater Nuclear Strategy during the 1970s | Austin Rory Cooper | Global Security | Using archival documents and other primary sources, the project examines debates over NATO's nuclear strategy during the 1970s, namely whether the Alliance should use its theater nuclear forces mainly in a denial posture or for punishment. These debates had significant implications for transatlantic cooperation and superpower competition during the Cold War, when nuclear weapon deployments in Europe linked its security to Washington's and potentially threatened Moscow. The project attends closely to strategic, military, diplomatic, and political aspects of these debates. | Expected contributions include primary document analysis, document digitization using OCR and other tools, database creation and organization, and production of references and bibliographies. | Apply Denial and Punishment in NATO's Cold War Theater Nuclear Strategy during the 1970s (1761) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Using Generative AI to Improve Healthcare Operations | Pengyi Shi | Machine Learning, LLMs, Data Science, Operations Research | Are you fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to change healthcare operations and improve patient outcomes? Do you have a passion for cutting-edge research and innovation? We are seeking enthusiastic and motivated undergraduate research assistants to join our dynamic team in an exciting project that leverages Generative AI and Language Models (LLM) to improve the efficiency and transparency in clinical decision making, decode unstructured textual data, extracting hidden patterns in workforce dynamics—like burnout triggers—that traditional methods miss. | We are aiming to hire an undergrad research assistant, who will be a key contributor to a project focused on developing AI-driven methods to enhance human-AI interaction in the healthcare management. The project involves (i) using Generative AI techniques and LLM to understand real-world interactions among various stakeholders in different healthcare scenarios, and (ii) design innovative optimization methods to reimagine workforce resilience. Your work will directly inform policies that balance operational efficiency with societal benefits, and safeguarding healthcare systems. Responsibilities: • Collaborate with our interdisciplinary team to design and develop backend engine and frontend interface using Generative AI and LLM. • Implement AI algorithms and models to simulate healthcare system performance. • Collaborate on writing and refining code, documentation, and research papers. • Contribute creative ideas to improve the accuracy and realism of the simulations. | Apply Using Generative AI to Improve Healthcare Operations (1767) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Portable Reverse Osmosis with Pulsed and Reversed Flow | Jose M Garcia Bravo | Water treatment | Reverse Osmosis is a very effective and popular system for water treatment. However, while this method is simple and widely adopted, it is intrinsically inefficient, wasting water and energy. The goal of this project is to investigate how a reconfigured Reverse Osmosis system can be altered using valve controls to increase the productivity, efficiency and resilience to contamination while utilizing less energy. | The student will utilize an existing laboratory prototype to take measurement of the performance of said system and will perform studies aiming to determine optimal operating conditions for maximum produced water with less energy. | Apply Portable Reverse Osmosis with Pulsed and Reversed Flow (1770) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Microstructure–Thermal–Mechanical Correlation for Feasibility Assessment of Recycled Thermoplastic Aerospace Composites | Garam Kim | Global Sustainability | The increasing use of recycled thermoplastic materials in aerospace composite manufacturing reflects the growing need for reprocessable and adaptable structural systems. However, recycling processes can alter polymer microstructure through variability in material distribution, molecular weight reduction, and phase heterogeneity, which can influence load transfer, stress distribution, damage initiation, porosity formation, and dimensional stability under thermo-mechanical loading. While prior studies have compared the bulk mechanical properties of recycled thermoplastic composites, limited work has quantitatively linked measurable microstructural characteristics to composite-level structural reliability. This study develops a structured microstructure–thermal–mechanical correlation framework to evaluate the feasibility of recycled thermoplastic composites for aerospace applications. Microstructural characterization using imaging and thermal analysis will quantify morphology and variability introduced during recycling, while composite laminates will be fabricated under controlled processing conditions to isolate reprocessing effects. Mechanical performance will be evaluated through tensile and flexural testing before and after environmental exposure to assess strength and modulus retention. Thermal characterization using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) will assess thermal stability and transition behavior. | Students will participate in the fabrication and characterization of recycled thermoplastic composite laminates. Responsibilities include specimen preparation, microstructural observation using microscopy, thermal characterization using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), and mechanical testing including tensile and flexural experiments. Students will also assist with environmental conditioning of specimens and analyze experimental data to evaluate the relationship between microstructural characteristics, thermal behavior, and mechanical performance. This work provides hands-on experience in composite manufacturing, materials characterization, experimental testing, and engineering data analysis relevant to aerospace structural materials. | Apply Microstructure–Thermal–Mechanical Correlation for Feasibility Assessment of Recycled Thermoplastic Aerospace Composites (1771) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Functional genomic screening to define PFAS neurotoxic mechanism conferring AD risk | Chongli Yuan | Global Health | The project aims aims to elucidate sub-cellular compartment homeostasis that is disrupted by developmental PFAS exposure, including PFOA, PFBA, and GenX, that collectively contribute to neurotoxicity later in life by increasing cellular vulnerability to established neuro-risk factors associated with neurodegeneration. | Participating students will perform stem cell culturing and carry out transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis after harvested cells. The student will learn stem cell biology and bioinformatic analysis. | Apply Functional genomic screening to define PFAS neurotoxic mechanism conferring AD risk (1772) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Bifacial solar concentrator | Walter Daniel Leon-Salas | solar energy, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering | The goal of this project is the construction and validation of a new kind of portable solar concentrator with bifacial heliostats. A bifacial heliostat has two faces, a reflective face and a photovoltaic face. Depending on the time of the day and weather conditions, the heliostat orient one of their faces toward the sky. This is a hands-on project. Expect to build real hardware. | The student is expected to design, build and test electronic and mechanical prototypes. The student is expected to collect measurements from field experiments and analyze data. The should be able to troubleshoot issues as they arise. Weekly progress reports and oral presentations are expected from the student. | Apply Bifacial solar concentrator (1776) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | DUIRI | West Lafayette | Evaluation of Abdominal Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in Juvenile Mice | Meera Pancholi Doran | Biomedical engineering, imaging, cardiovascular | Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs) develop when the wall of the aorta weakens and gradually enlarges, affecting pediatric patients and adults. These aneurysms are often asymptomatic until rupture, which carries a high risk of death, and treatment options are currently limited to surgery. Predicting which aneurysms will progress or rupture is especially challenging in pediatric patients, where normal growth can make disease-related changes difficult to detect. The goal of this project is to better understand how ATAAs develop and progress at different ages using controlled mouse models of disease. Juvenile and adult mice will be used to study age-related differences in aneurysm formation, with disease induced in experimental groups using the lysyl oxidase inhibitor ?-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) and progression monitored over time using high-frequency 4D ultrasound imaging. These data will be used to measure changes in aortic size, wall motion, and blood flow. To connect these functional changes to structural remodeling, aortic tissue will be analyzed using histology. This project provides hands-on experience in cardiovascular imaging and tissue analysis while generating new insight into how ATAAs progress across age groups, ultimately supporting improved prediction of aneurysm risk in patients. | Students on this project will gain hands-on experience in cardiovascular imaging and mouse models. They will learn to perform high-frequency ultrasound imaging and conduct image analysis independently, assist with mouse procedures and post-operative animal care, and prepare and analyze aortic tissue using histology techniques. Students may also have the opportunity to contribute to computational modeling and analysis of ultrasound data to explore aortic biomechanics. | Apply Evaluation of Abdominal Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in Juvenile Mice (1780) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Honors | West Lafayette | JMHC Afterschool Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning | Temitope Folasade Adeoye Olenloa | Education, Youth Development, Mixed Methods, Longitudinal | The Heads Up Tutoring & Life Skills program is an afterschool program in east Lafayette. We support K-12 youth in Greater Lafayette by providing homework help, mentoring, and summer enrichment opportunities. This community-based research project partners with Heads Up to analyze survey, focus group, and grade reflection forms to support Heads Up in developing a strategic plan and program redesign. Dr. Adeoye Olenloa is currently recruiting undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining longitudinal, mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research skills. | There is room to propose research questions, engage in data collection and analysis, publish and present research in academic venues, and create a scholarly project with this research. | Apply JMHC Afterschool Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning (1794) |
| Summer 2026 | Yes | Individual | West Lafayette | Afterschool Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning | Temitope Folasade Adeoye Olenloa | Education, Youth Development, Mixed Methods, Longitudinal | The Heads Up Tutoring & Life Skills program is an afterschool program in east Lafayette. We support K-12 youth in Greater Lafayette by providing homework help, mentoring, and summer enrichment opportunities. This community-based research project partners with Heads Up to analyze survey, focus group, and grade reflection forms to support Heads Up in developing a strategic plan and program redesign. Dr. Adeoye Olenloa is currently recruiting undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining longitudinal, mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research skills. | There is room to propose research questions, engage in data collection and analysis, publish and present research in academic venues, and create a scholarly project/thesis/dissertation with this research. In Summer 2026 we will be focused on qualitative data analysis of interviews, focus groups, and grade reflection forms; mixing findings across qualitative and quantitative data sources; preparing recommendations for Heads Up; and drafting research publications. | Apply Afterschool Needs Assessment and Strategic Planning (1795) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Polytechnic Institute | West Lafayette | Hacking human behaviour. | Shobhan Shah | Behaviour Design for "Future Work and Learning" | We can’t simply ‘technology’ our way to solving every problem. People hold beliefs, feel emotions, and ascribe meanings to things — and these beliefs can make people reject, underuse, or misuse the solutions we engineer for them. (For example: No matter how many tools have been created to reduce screen addition or social media overuse, people still suffer from these.) So, besides technologies and tools, people have regularly hacked+invented interactions, habits, and even rituals to affect behaviour change. We will continue in that tradition, with a focus on hacking human and inventing behaviours to address modern problems like screen addiction, rage-bait, continuous context-switching, etc. Specifically, we will focus on behaviours related to "future work/learning", e.g. try to make students/workers feel less stressed, exhausted, or demotivated (since this is classified as an impact-area within the Polytechnic). | 1. Behaviour design is a well-established field. We will wade into this space as noobs, and start off by grounding ourselves in some existing research. After which, we will dive headfirst into learning-by-making... 2. We will analyse everyday problems to determine when, how, and why instructional or technological solutions are insufficient to solve these problems — describing at least two examples from personal or observed experience. 3. Through hands-on projects, we will understand a "ritual framework" for understanding human behaviour (and learn how we can hack human behaviour as if it was a regular design problem). We will deconstruct existing rituals, and we will design and prototype "hacks" to overcome selected problems. 4. We will justify various components of our "hacks" on the basis of cultural context, technological constraints, and emotional goals. 6. We will test our "hacks" (with oneself and/or actual people), and iteratively improve them. 7. We will communicate our "hacks" to people who may benefit from them: by producing instruction leaflets and demo videos. | Apply Hacking human behaviour. (1796) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Honors | West Lafayette | StreamCI Integration for Ecological Data | Kristen Marie Bellisario | Computer Science, Cyberinfrastructure, Ecology, Conservation | This project situates undergraduate research within the NSF-funded National Science Foundation Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) initiative, StreamCI, which aims to enable scalable, AI-ready data pipelines for scientific applications. As a participating domain science, our goal is to adapt unstructured ecological datasets—particularly acoustic recordings and camera trap imagery—for integration into the StreamCI framework. These data are central to ongoing conservation efforts focused on species such as the bobcat, gray wolf, and American black bear, where large volumes of sensor data are collected but remain difficult to standardize and analyze at scale. Enabling these data within StreamCI supports a broader “Conservation in Action” goal: transforming raw environmental observations into actionable ecological insight. | The undergraduate researcher will play a central role in transforming unstructured ecological data into structured, machine-readable formats suitable for streaming data pipelines. This includes examining raw datasets to identify patterns, inconsistencies, and missing metadata; defining appropriate data fields and schema; and evaluating how these design choices affect downstream analysis. A key component of the project is student-driven inquiry. The researcher will develop an independent research question related to data representation, selection, or preprocessing in ecological monitoring systems. They will select datasets, implement data transformations, and test how different schema and preprocessing strategies influence the performance of analytical or algorithmic workflows within StreamCI. Through this work, the student will contribute to enabling multimodal ecological data (audio and imagery) to function effectively within a national cyberinfrastructure platform. The project advances both domain-specific knowledge in ecological informatics and broader goals of reproducible, scalable data science in support of wildlife conservation. | Apply StreamCI Integration for Ecological Data (1798) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Education | West Lafayette | Talk Now, Tech Later: Exploring AI-Supported Math and Language Learning in Early Childhood | Brenda Sarmiento Quezada | Early Childhood Education, Bilingual/Multilingual Education, Language & Literacy Development, Educational Technology / AI in Education | This project explores how young children (ages 3–5) and their families engage in everyday math and language interactions at home, especially in bilingual (Spanish-English) contexts. In the first phase of the project, we study how families naturally use storytelling, play, and daily routines (like cooking or organizing) to support early learning. In this second phase, we will begin to explore how interactive technologies, such as conversational tools or early childhood robots, can support and extend these interactions in meaningful ways. As an undergraduate researcher, you will be part of a team working directly on this next phase of the project. You will help us understand how technology can be designed to support (not replace) family interaction, language development, and early math learning. | Assist with organizing and managing research data (audio, video, transcripts) Support transcription and basic coding of interactions Help prepare materials for working with families (activities, prompts, guides) Assist with data collection in community or family settings Contribute to literature reviews on early childhood, bilingualism, and AI in education Participate in regular research meetings and discussions | Apply Talk Now, Tech Later: Exploring AI-Supported Math and Language Learning in Early Childhood (1799) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Education | West Lafayette | A multi-informant qualitative inquiry on intergenerational identity integration in LGBTQ+ parent families | Xiang Zhou | Counseling Psychology | How do parent(s)' identities influence who their children become? This research project explores how identity, family, and belonging are developed across generations in LGBTQ+ parent families. We examine how adult children of LGBTQ+ parents make sense of their parent(s)' identities and how these experiences influence their own sense of self. Through in-depth interviews with both LGBTQ+ parents and adult children, this study centers real stories to better understand how families create meaning, navigate identity, and build connection over time. This project highlights the strengths, resilience, and richness of diverse family experiences. | Students will be involved in multiple stages of the research process and will work closely with a collaborative research team. Responsibilities may include: -Coding and analyzing interview transcripts using a structured codebook -Participating in team-based coding meetings and consensus discussions -Assisting with literature reviews related to identity, family relationships, and LGBTQ+ populations -Contributing to conversations about interpreting findings and research implications -Receiving training in qualitative research methods and developing skills in coding, consensus-building, and cross-case analysis Through this experience, students will gain hands on training in qualitative research methods, develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and learn how research translates into impact in psychology and family health. Students will also receive mentorship and guidance throughout the research process, with opportunities for deeper involvement (e.g., conference presentations or manuscripts) based on interest and engagement. | Apply A multi-informant qualitative inquiry on intergenerational identity integration in LGBTQ+ parent families (1801) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Education | West Lafayette | It Takes a Village: Supporting Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Childhood | Amber M. Neal-Stanley | Education; human development and family studies, psychology | It Takes a Village is a community-based research initiative designed to strengthen racial socialization practices among parents and caregivers of Black children ages 3 and 5 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Research shows that children notice racial differences as early as three months and can internalize bias during the preschool years, yet many families lack access to structured, culturally grounded resources to support early racial identity development. This project positions parents as their children's first educators and seeks to understand existing family practices, challenges, and needs. The study employs a qualitative, multiple case study design, using semi-structured interviews with approximately 20 parents, guardians, and caregivers. Interviews will explore caregivers' home literacy practices, early childhood experiences, conversations about race and identity, engagement with schools or daycare, and interactions with the larger community. Data collected will be audio- and video-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to identify patterns, strengths, and gaps in family racial socialization. Findings from the interviews will directly inform the development of the Parent Village program, a six-month culturally affirming workshop series that provides caregivers with research-based tools, curated children's literature, guided activities, and a Family Racial Literacy Toolkit to foster children's positive self-concept, emotional well-being, and school readiness. This project contributes to the fields of education, human development and family studies, psychology, and Black studies by generating context-specific knowledge on Black family processes, supporting culturally responsive parenting interventions, and promoting equitable educational and developmental opportunities for young Black children. | Undergraduate students will serve as research assistants on this project and will support multiple aspects of study implementation and analysis. Their responsibilities may include scheduling and attending virtual interviews, manually transcribing interview recordings, and assisting with coding and thematic analysis of qualitative data. They may also help conduct literature reviews on early childhood racial socialization and related topics and contribute to the development of the Parent Village program, including preparing workshop materials, curating culturally affirming resources, and supporting parent and child activities. All tasks will be performed under supervision and with strict adherence to confidentiality and ethical research practices. | Apply It Takes a Village: Supporting Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Childhood (1803) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Polytechnic Institute | West Lafayette | AI Competency Development: Using the 5E Instructional Model to Integrate AI-Focused Online Discussions into the Face-to-Face STEM Class | Lisa B Bosman | Future Work and Learning | This study seeks to enhance students' engagement and understanding of AI's best practices in the workplace through structured online discussions. This innovative educational practice was implemented in an advanced project management course delivered to upper-level undergraduate technology students as part of Purdue's AI Working Competency. The motivation behind this initiative stems from the rapidly growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the project management field and the need for effective pedagogical strategies that can bridge theoretical knowledge and practical application. The online discussions were structured according to the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate). Each three-week module corresponds to a specific phase in the instructional model, commencing with an introduction to AI in project management during the Engage module. This approach is unique because it blends asynchronous online learning with synchronous in-person instruction, enabling students to interact meaningfully with course content while fostering a sense of community and collaboration outside the classroom. The implementation of this practice was motivated by the need to enhance student engagement and ensure that the complexities of AI are adequately addressed in the curriculum. The integration of online discussions in this course aligns with current literature advocating for blended learning environments that enhance learner engagement and satisfaction. Research indicates that such environments significantly benefit from the incorporation of social constructivism principles, where collaboration and interaction among peers are crucial for fostering a sense of community. Additionally, studies have shown that peer-to-peer interactions in online settings contribute positively to students’ overall satisfaction and perceived learning outcomes. | This study will be evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. At the end of each module, students (n=28) completed a quantitative retrospective post-then-pre survey along with a narrative reflection to gauge perceived learning gains, relevance, and engagement levels. SPSS will be used for quantitative analysis and NVivo will be used for qualitative analysis. Preliminary feedback suggests that students feel more connected to the material, enhancing their understanding of AI's applications in project management. The research will be disseminated as follows: (1) Fall 2026 Purdue Undergraduate Research Symposium, (2) Spring 2027 Purdue Undergraduate Research Symposiums, (3) June 2027 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) conference proceeding, (4) Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research, and (5) a peer-reviewed journal article. If additional time allows, future work will focus on validating and disseminating additional prompts, delivery approaches, assessments, and further exploring the role of ethics across industry examples. | Apply AI Competency Development: Using the 5E Instructional Model to Integrate AI-Focused Online Discussions into the Face-to-Face STEM Class (1804) |
| Academic Year 2026 | Yes | Polytechnic Institute | Indianapolis | Bridging Theory and Practice: Developing a Cross-Disciplinary Experiential Learning Framework in STEM Education | Esra Tepeli | Experiential Learning, Cross-disciplinary Education | Project description: This project aims to design and test a cross-disciplinary experiential learning framework in STEM education. The framework will specify core components (e.g., mentorship, reflective scaffolding, assessment design, and industry/community partnerships), alignment criteria (linking learning outcomes with experiential activities), and assessment metrics that enable institutions to evaluate and scale experiential learning across multiple departments. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study will integrate a literature review of exemplary experiential models with case studies at Purdue, including surveys and interviews with faculty and students engaged in experiential learning. The goal is to provide a structured, scalable framework that strengthens critical thinking, engagement, and retention among STEM students while aligning with accreditation standards such as ABET. Despite the recognized value of active and experiential learning in fostering problem-solving, engagement, and retention, most existing approaches remain fragmented and discipline-specific. Few studies offer a validated, cross-disciplinary operational framework that defines transferable components and alignment criteria (Borda et al., 2022; Sircar and Orr, 2024). Research also highlights inconsistent outcome measures and a lack of commonly adopted tools for assessing the impact of experiential learning across departments (Santhosh et al., 2023). In addition, institutional barriers (such as faculty workload, resource constraints, and limited coordination structures) remain underexplored, leaving gaps in understanding how to implement and scale experiential learning effectively (Naseer et al., 2025). Approach: This study will employ a mixed-methods design: - First, a comprehensive literature review will identify exemplary experiential-learning models across disciplines in STEM fields. - Second, case studies at Purdue will be conducted through surveys and interviews with faculty and students engaged in STEM experiential learning activities. - Finally, the project will synthesize findings into a cross-disciplinary framework synthesizing best practices, highlighting transferable strategies that support effective implementation across diverse STEM contexts. Comparative analysis will reveal commonalities and outcomes across departments to identify transferable components of effective experiential learning. Expected Contribution: The result will be a structured, evidence-based framework in STEM education enabling institutions to design, implement, assess, and scale experiential learning initiatives across academic departments. It addresses fragmented, discipline-specific approaches by offering systemic strategies to enhance engagement, persistence, and transferable skills. The outcomes have the potential to enhance student persistence in STEM, foster industry readiness, and improve the overall quality of higher education. This project is innovative in three ways: 1.Clarity of transfer: It explicitly defines transfer at both the framework level (institutional practices across departments) and the student level (knowledge and skills gained in one context applied in others). 2.Cross-disciplinary integration: It moves beyond fragmented, discipline-specific approaches by offering a system-wide framework aligned with accreditation and workforce readiness outcomes (Borda et al., 2022). 3.Implementation focus: It systematically examines institutional barriers and mechanisms of transfer, providing practical guidance for sustainable adoption (Sircar and Orr, 2024). The expected impact is a validated framework that higher education institutions can adopt to design, implement, and assess cross-disciplinary experiential learning initiatives. This will contribute to improving student persistence in STEM, enhancing workforce readiness, and advancing the overall quality of higher education. References: - Borda, E., Haskell, T., Boudreaux, A. (2022). Cross-disciplinary learning: A framework for assessing application of concepts across science disciplines. Journal of College Science Teaching, 52(1). - Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall. - Naseer, F., Tariq, R., Alshahrani, H. M., et al. (2025). Project-based learning framework integrating industry collaboration to enhance student future readiness in higher education. Scientific Reports, 15, 24985. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10385-4 - Santhosh, M., Farooqi, H., Ammar, M., et al. (2023). A meta-analysis to gauge the effectiveness of STEM informal project-based learning: Investigating the potential moderator variables. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 32(4), 671–685. - Sircar, M., Orr, S. (2024). Conceptualizing an initial framework to support discipline-rich project-based learning in STEM. Education Sciences, 14(7), 793. | Undergraduate research assistants will engage in: - Conducting targeted literature reviews of experiential learning frameworks and assessment practices. - Designing and piloting student/faculty surveys and interview protocols. - Assisting with data collection, coding, and analysis. - Supporting the development of the cross-disciplinary logic model that illustrates inputs, activities, outputs, and impacts of experiential learning. - Collaborating in drafting sections of the framework and dissemination materials (conference posters, brief reports). | Apply Bridging Theory and Practice: Developing a Cross-Disciplinary Experiential Learning Framework in STEM Education (1806) |