URSP Student Kyler Buckner Researches Racial Inequality in D.C.’s Housing Crisis

The urban landscape of Washington D.C. is in flux. Municipal policy has consistently delivered displacement by design by prioritizing the interests of white developers at the expense of black and brown communities. However, at the same time there is a viral intolerance building up within the city, asserting not just a right to stay in one’s house as it, but a right to make a home.  My research revolves around one central question: in the wake of rapidly increasing rates of homelessness and expulsion, what alternative ways to design the city and generate home are taken up by communities in their fight against displacement?

Drawing on interviews I did with members of EmpowerDC (an anti-displacement NGO) as well as my own experience volunteering with them, I found there is radical potential for the city to plan itself, rather than be planned by. In the wake of a disastrous response to COVID-19 both federally and locally, EmpowerDC expanded mutual aid projects to provide hot meals, groceries, fresh greens, hand sanitizer, masks, and flowers to anyone who needs it—no questions asked. At a time where access to these resources can be a matter of life or death, how can these events be seen as a practice of home-making, of democratic planning by, for, and of the city? As I have found, these communities have forged more than material networks for survival. They also exhibit a way of relating to one another that cuts back at the profit-over-people rationale driving displacement in the nation’s capital, creating a sense of home amidst and against the threat of displacement.

 

STIP Student Hannah Brennan Works Toward the Creation of the Non-Native Articulatory Corpus.

This summer I worked on a pilot project toward the creation of the Non-Native Articulatory Corpus. This is a database of acoustic and articulatory data of speakers of French as a second language. The acoustic data is made up of the participants’ audio recording, while the articulatory data is acquired using an ultrasound machine on the participants to record the movements of their tongues as they speak. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we were not able to perform the articulatory aspect of the research, but we were able to get creative and focus on an acoustic pilot study where we walked participants through recording themselves on a video chat to collect our data.

We were able to prepare everything for when the researchers would eventually be able to work on the database to its fullest. This means that we worked on the creation of the stimuli, the parameters of the research, and the website which would hold the database. The longest part was the creation of the stimuli: we set out to create a list of 40-60 sentences which would encompass every possible sound combination we could think of in the French language.

Additionally, to further work with the data we collected, as well as to test out our processes, the interns divided into two groups to conduct our own studies using the stimuli and the recordings created for the database. My group looked at the voice onset time of voiced stops (/d b g/) and how their placement in the word and in the sentence, and the following vowel can change the speaker’s production of these stops.

I have learned so much over this summer, from using different software to having a more concentrated study in phonetics, and I have been a part of the field of research in linguistics as a whole as we came up with new ways to continue our research in spite of not being able to use our labs and some of our machinery. Most of all, I have had the pleasure of working on the beginnings of a project that will outgrow me and continue to be a resource for linguistic study.

STIP Student Jordan Boyle Examines the Interconnectedness of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (FEWS) in Rural Rapidan

When I first applied for the FEWS Summer Team Impact Project, I never would have guessed that I would be doing my work remotely and meeting with my peers and project leaders over WebEx. The FEWS Summer Team Impact Project examines the interconnectedness of food, energy, and water systems (FEWS) in rural Rapidan, located in Culpeper County, VA and finding solutions to FEWS problems in the area. The location for this project was chosen for many reasons, one of which being that Rapidan is relatively close to Fairfax. This made it possible for the team members to be able to go to the project location and see the farms, observe the flooding of the Rapidan River, and speak directly with the community members. Of course, this did not happen due to COVID-19. However, the FEWS team did not let this alter the main goals of the project.

The FEWS Project shifted gears. Now, instead of in-person interviews, we have been meeting with dozens of farmers, community leaders, and community members online. On a positive note, it has allowed us to interview many more people than expected, because working remotely has increased the flexibility of many people’s schedules. Our enthusiasm for this project has certainly not been stifled by COVID-19, as we have been able to meet virtually with so many locals of Rapidan and Culpeper County and deepen our understanding of the various issues they have been facing. Flooding is a prominent issue for many community members. Obesity and adverse health effects of malnutrition are two more prominent issues. I could go on and on about the multifaceted issues that community members of Rapidan have faced, but our project is still ongoing and every day we learn more about the negatives and positives of being a resident of Rapidan. Our hopes for this project remain the same during COVID-19: that we can find solutions for Rapidan residents and work to solve the issues relating to food, energy, and water systems in their town.

STIP Student Sarah Blanton Studies Student Activism, Well-being, and Burnout

My name is Sarah Blanton, and I am entering my senior year studying Global Affairs at George Mason. During the summer, my colleagues and I have continued a project Dr. Cher Chen of the School of Integrative Studies started about a half-decade ago on student activism and well-being. Although literature on student activism is well-established, almost no studies address student activism, well-being, and burnout in conjunction. This study seeks to address this gap in research, and eventually provide the foundation for student support networks to be built. We worked with 3 faculty members: Dr. Chen, Dr. McCarron, and Dr. Cai. I worked on a team of 6 undergraduate researchers. My colleagues were divided into three teams: Women’s Rights, Racial Justice, and Immigration Rights. Our teams contacted participants in the relevant areas, and conducted interviews for participants with activist interests which matched our teams. My partner and I, Anagha, worked on the Women’s Studies portion of the project and also interviewed LGBT+ activists. 

In order to meet COVID-19 guidelines, all of our meetings have been conducted virtually. All interviews with participants were entirely digital, using the Blackboard Collaborate function. We recorded and transcripted interviews using the Otter.ai app, and polished transcriptions by correcting any discrepancies between the transcription and audio file. We also attempted to address how the pandemic places a strain on student activists by incorporating questions about well-being and COVID in our interviews. 

Although I have about a year of qualitative research skills, this has been my first experience gathering data. I really enjoyed conducting interviews, and my passion for the subject motivates me to do the best work possible. By learning to conduct interviews, I gathered a valuable research skill which will stay with me throughout my career. Transcribing has been an exercise in concentration and attention to detail. The most valuable thing I have learned during this project is how to code transcripts, which I have aspired to learn for over a year. I am so grateful for the opportunity to finally understand this process. I feel like I have all the tools I need to conduct my own research projects in the future. Hopefully, having this knowledge will make me more competitive for TA positions or graduate research positions, since I have always dreamed of continuing to grad school and need to finance my ambitions.

 

URSP Student Dominique Bernardino Creates a Short Film Simulating the effect of Drug-related Violence

For my project, I am going to create a short film simulating the effect of drug-related violence on children in the Philippines. I was motivated to pursue this project because I believe that it is an important story that must be told to the world through a visual narrative. Since being given this opportunity, I have been working closely with a production team in the Philippines to successfully execute pre-production, production and post-production.

Now that my team and I are nearing the post-production phase of the project, I began to realize how fast everything went by, and how I have not been able to process all my achievements, big or small. Now that I have taken the time to indulge in these new experiences, I realize how this summer has been eye-opening, encouraging and fulfilling. I learned more about the film industry in the Philippines and how they operate in these struggling times. I also learned more about myself and how I work in fast paced environments. Originally, I was supposed to create a fiction film a big production crew, but due to COVID-19 I transitioned toward a smaller production for a non-fiction film, with an entirely new script and approach. Instead of traveling to the Philippines to direct the film, I have been working remotely with a team of six. I have been actively meeting virtually with this team. Also, instead of interviewing children affected by the war on drugs, I consulted with a psychiatrist who worked closely with the children in order to gain a deeper understanding of the children’s experience and to get their approval for the script.

In the beginning, the weight that COVID-19 had on my project was overwhelming, but I soon turned it into motivation that fueled my passion for filmmaking even more. Through this opportunity, I will be able to take a closer step into the film industry by submitting my film to local and international film festivals.

STIP Student Sydney Allworth begins to Build a Non-Native Articulatory (NNA) Corpus Online

 The broad goal for this summer was to begin building a Non-Native Articulatory (NNA) Corpus online; the idea was that other researchers could use the articulatory and acoustic data compiled on this corpus in order to explore their own research questions about second language (L2) acquisition. Although the long term goal for the corpus was to compile data from L2 speakers of any language, we planned on starting with speakers who’s L2 is French this summer. Little did we know that we would need to narrow our scope much more significantly in order to adapt to the changes caused by Covid-19. 

Because the goal was to build an articulatory corpus, we originally planned to collect both auditory and articulatory data to measure how each speaker was producing speech sounds in French. We set out to use ultrasound technology in order to capture images of speech while in action, but we soon discovered that even collecting audio in person was unlikely. This is when we changed our course for the summer. Instead of launching the corpus itself, we would be focusing on building its core structures such as the language background questionnaire and list of stimuli. In addition to this, we would conduct a pilot study focusing only on the analysis of auditory data that was collected and sent to us remotely.

While this is a much more modest plan than we had before, we still had a lot of work cut out for us. After a full month of remote training, we put all our effort into developing a questionnaire that would provide pertinent information on the many variables that go into L2 speech production, as well as creating a stimuli list that contained as many possible sounds—and sound combinations—as are known to appear in the target language, French. However, the hardest part was yet to come: data collection and analysis. We were only able to recruit five speakers—three non-native French speakers, and two native French speakers who served as controls—but annotating the 825 sound files they produced certainly took up plenty of our time, and we were able to find many interesting patterns.

Though we were limited greatly by the reality of the global pandemic, I gained extremely valuable experience while participating in this Summer Team Impact Project. Not only did I learn more about Linguistics and the research community, I also learned some computer programming techniques that I doubt I would have encountered on my own had I not participated this summer. As a freshman at GMU last year, I didn’t expect to come across an opportunity like this. I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of such an interesting and important program.

 

OSCAR Student Investigates the Predator-Prey Dynamics Between Fish and Macroinvertebrates Tributaries to the Potomac River

As a member of the ecology team for the Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center’s (PEREC) summer OSCAR team project, my research goal is to investigate the predator-prey dynamics between fish and macroinvertebrates in two freshwater tidal Potomac River tributaries, Gunston Cove and Hunting Creek. This means, I examine the stomach content of 15 fish species known to inhabit both embayments in order to construct a food web for each location.

Due to variations in aquatic habitat types within the embayments (i.e., vegetated and non-vegetated), I use three different methods to collect my fish samples: fyke nets, seine nets, and otter trawls.

A fyke net is a passive collection technique in which fish are guided into a funnel shaped net by three leads, or guide nets. Once fish enter the funnel through narrow openings, they are unable to return to the outside of the net. The funnels on the fyke net are comprised of subsequently narrower openings that make exiting the net difficult for many fish. This method is implemented in heavily vegetated habitats where the submerged aquatic vegetation is so dense it is impossible to actively pull other types of net through.

The second method, seine nets, are an active collection technique in which two people extend a long net perpendicular to the shore and then drag it parallel to the shore for approximately 100 feet. This targets fish along the shoreline and can be used in vegetated and non-vegetated habitat. However, seine nets become very difficult or even impossible to use effectively once the vegetation reaches a certain density.

The third method, otter trawls, are another active collection technique in which a weighted net is dropped off the back of the boat and dragged at a constant speed for 5 minutes. Like the seine net, this method can be used in vegetated habitats to an extent. If there is too much vegetation, the trawl will become clogged or too heavy and will have to be reset, so it is best used in open water.
Once my fish samples are collected, I take them back to the lab to remove their stomachs for examination. I then sort the contents of their stomach into groups based on the lowest possible taxonomic level, which can be challenging if the organisms in the stomach have already begun to digest.

While there are published studies focused on the diet of many of the fish species I am studying this summer, none of the studies focus on populations in these specific tributaries of the Potomac River. The species found in these systems are unique, in a way, due to their close relationship with wastewater treatment plants upstream. These treatment plants feed nutrient rich effluent (i.e., discharge water) into the streams that then flow into these embayments. Adding additional nutrients to an aquatic system has the potential to influence the type of organisms that can live there.

I will use the organisms I identify in the fish stomachs to construct a food web, which will allow me to compare the diets of fish communities that reside in non-vegetated habitats, such as shorelines and open water, to the fish communities that reside in vegetated habitats, such as the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds.

Pursuing this question is interesting because in the 1980’s Gunston Cove was a hypereutrophic (i.e., very nutrient rich) system, due to the nutrient rich effluent released from the Noman M. Cole, Jr. Pollution Control Plant (NCPCP), which provided ample nutrient resources for phytoplankton algae to grow. Eventually, the algae became so abundant that it formed a thick green layer over much of Gunston Cove, which blocked the sunlight from reaching the streambed, preventing the growth of SAV. However, in an effort to reduce the occurrence of these harmful algal blooms, NCPCP reduced the amount of nutrients released in their effluent and after many years SAV beds began to reestablish (like they were prior to the 1980’s).

Now that nutrients, such as phosphorus (the first nutrient that was reduced in the wastewater effluent) and nitrogen, are better regulated, light is able to penetrate the surface and in turn SAV is able to grow. The food webs I construct will compare the potential impacts shifting from the historically non-vegetated habitat to the emerging vegetated habitat may have on the diets of fish in Gunston Cove and Hunting Creek.

As an Environmental Science student, I am very interested in the interactions that take place between organisms within an ecosystem. One day I hope to incorporate ecosystem modeling and spatial analysis into my own research, to investigate the potential impact factors such as climate change or invasive species can have on populations of aquatic species.

When I saw that Dr. de Mutsert was looking for a student to help construct a food web, I thought that this was a great place to start. Before I can create models to predict how stressors such as climate change or invasive species will impact an ecosystem, I must first understand how the species currently interact with their environment and surrounding community.

Now, I begin week seven of attempting to answer an unanswered question with high hopes and a long to-do list. I have spent many hours this summer on a boat collecting fish for my project, and macroinvertebrates for my partner’s, trolling the internet and library for resources on how to conduct a diet study and information on the history of the fish community in the Potomac River. More recently I have begun processing my 196 fish samples to try to understand what exactly is going on in the Potomac River (i.e., who is eating whom). The past six weeks have been spent collecting my fish samples and preparing the content in their stomachs to be examined.


With only two weeks left until our results are due to our advisors, it is now time I use our data to begin connecting the dots between the inhabitants of each embayment. The only thing standing between the coveted answer and myself are approximately 190 fish stomachs, but have no fear – I’ve come prepared with my microscope, tweezers, and coffee. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.

OSCAR Student Adam Schuman and the Peter Ritter Transcription Project

What got me interested in this was the opportunity to work with a professor outside of the classroom. I also got really excited about the daily work that I hoped I would be doing. In high school I transcribed some string quartets in my music theory classes and I really loved how I learned from transcribing. I got excited when I saw that this position was to edit and transcribe music. I love music theory and classical music but because I’m a music tech major I don’t have to take as many music theory classes as everyone else. To me this was a way to keep in touch with that side of music without taking classes for it.

I currently don’t see this experience directly helping my long term goals. I see this experience as something that can open up a career avenue post college. I am looking forward to adding the experience to my resume. I think it looks very good and can really help differentiate myself from other job applications.

On a weekly basis I am transcribing music from my phone or computer into Sibelius. Sibelius is the music notation software that the Ritter team is using. I would get through a certain amount of pages of music per day. The amount of pages depends on the size of each page and how legible the pages are. The challenges are not just putting in notes but paying attention to every bit of detail that’s on the manuscript. Translating what Peter wanted the music to sound like into my own edited edition. Later in the project the team began to work on posters. We divided up the work and each made a section of the poster for the presentation August 4^th.

Something that I discovered is how music changes and differs from the hands of a composer to an editor. An editor makes decisions that effects how a piece is performed. Hearing a piece that I edited is a very interesting experience because I imagine it sounded better when Peter’s musicians played it.

OSCAR Student Molly Kluck Researches Human Fetal fMRI

In my Sophomore year, I signed up for an introductory course on bioethics. It was taught by my now mentor, Andrew Peterson. The first class was about how fMRI has been used to detect sentience in patients that were previously thought to be in a vegetative state. I was sold. It was the next class, I think, that I went up to him and asked for more material. A few classes later, he asked if I’d like to meet him, and some other students he had “collected”, for a Neuroethics meeting. I agreed, and from there on, we’ve had several meetings where we look at ethical concerns involving the brain and share our work with each other. It was through this group that I became enthralled with the implications of the fMRI research being done on human fetuses.

As I look towards the future, I see myself staying proactively involved in matters of research that relate to human consciousness. I’m very interested in the how and when of its occurrence. My ultimate interest is in artificially intelligent machines and I think that in order to truly understand any type of consciousness these machines may have, that it is necessary to understand human consciousness.

On a weekly basis for my project on the ethics involving human fetal fMRI research, I mostly read a lot. The main focus of this project has been a paper that I will hopefully be submitting to the International Neuroethics Society’s annual meeting. As can be imagined, this has involved reading a lot of research articles that have been about how fMRI works, the noted effects on human bodies, bioethical articles that involve arguments surrounding the moral status of fetuses, and effects of common phenomena like heat and sound on a developing fetus. Writing and designing my poster was the other half of my weekly story.

As I have made it through this summer, my greatest discovery was that keeping an open and flexible mind is key to research. Especially research as subjective as an ethical analysis. It can be difficult to say what is wrong and what is right, but with an open mind and lots of research it is possible to find an answer backed up by science.

OSCAR Student Simone Hawkins and the Peter Ritter Transcription Project

I first became interested in the field of musicology and research while studying at NVCC Alexandria and would especially like to thank Professor John Kocur for his support and inspiration throughout my discovery of and consequent passion for music history, and neglected and virtually unknown/forgotten composers. As a transfer student to the B.A. Music program at George Mason University, I have been able to further my experience and skill in music research. Namely, my private study’s in period performance [practice] violin with June Huang has enabled me to increase my expertise in working with manuscripts (facsimiles) and being able to interpret music in a style appropriate to the composer’s intention. These experiences and the knowledge I gained from them helped prepare me for the extent of the research involved in the Peter Ritter project.

As opposed to doing research for my own personal interests, having the opportunity to do so in an academic setting as an undergraduate student is what immediately drew me to the Peter Ritter research project. And because music research is what I want to do after my undergraduate studies, being a part of this OSCAR summer group has given me hands-on experience in this field. This summer, I actually did something that I had not done before – I learned how to use the records at the Library of Congress and was therefore able to handle the physical manuscripts of some of Ritter’s music, which I later transcribed. Seeing the composer’s handwriting in person and turning the pages of the manuscripts made the research all the more exciting! All of my previous studies utilized online resources and databases, but I find that using the original music is more interesting and engaging because not only can you see markings and errors, which may not be visible in facsimile editions, but it also provides you the rare experience of working with primary sources.