First Year Research Awards | Wittenberg University

First Year Research Awards

First Year Research Awards are scholarships designed to match outstanding students with Wittenberg’s award-winning faculty. Please note that students must qualify for admission into the Wittenberg University Honors Program to be eligible for these awards.

Wittenberg Students Students selected for First Year Research awards will work closely with a faculty member while pursuing exciting research opportunities in the first year at Wittenberg. The First Year Research Awards are for $2,000 ($1,000 per semester) for the student’s first year only. This is a non-renewable award. Students can only receive one First Year Research Award and one will be awarded per area listed below. First Year Research Awards can be combined with other Special Interest Awards.

Deadline: February 23

Students must be admitted to Wittenberg prior to submitting a First Year Research Award application. Students must also qualify for the Honors Program to be eligible. When clicking the link to apply for an award, please log in using your Wittenberg Admission Portal username and password.

Using ion chromatography to measure anion content in water and other interesting samples

Ion chromatography is a method for separating and detecting ions. This method can be applied to a wide variety of interesting samples including fingerprints, sports drinks, and environmental water and soil samples. The FYRA recipient will collect samples, make solutions, learn to use and maintain the ion chromatography instrument, and measure the anion content in the samples. Applicants should have an ability to work independently, good mathematical skills, good manual dexterity, an attention to detail, patience for repeating experiments, and a curiosity about how the physical world works.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Cline

Positronium research: Studying matter and anti-matter in the laboratory

My current research involves positronium, which is an artificial “atom” consisting of an electron and a positron (the antiparticle of the electron). The goal of the research is to investigate differences between matter and anti-matter. Positrons are used in PET scans to image the body, and the techniques used in our research have applications to medical physics. Recipients will work with me to design and build equipment, carry out laboratory experiments to study positronium decay, and run and analyze computer simulations to track high-energy particles from positronium and other radioactive sources. Recipients should have good quantitative and problem-solving skills, a willingness to learn, and a curiosity about how things work.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. George

Sleep and Performance: Exploring Sleep Patterns Among College Students

How much sleep do college students really get, and how does sleep relate to their academic and athletic performance? In this hands-on research experience, you will work with Dr. Catherine Short to investigate sleep patterns and performance among Wittenberg University students, including potential differences between student-athletes and non-athletes. You will participate in the research process by reviewing scholarly literature, helping develop a research plan, recruiting student volunteers, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting findings. The project may involve using wearable sleep trackers and brief surveys to explore relationships between sleep duration, daily functioning, and self-reported academic or athletic performance. Throughout the academic year, you will develop skills in research methods, critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific communication. You will also explore how nursing research contributes to health promotion, wellness, and performance. The experience will culminate in a research poster or presentation sharing your findings. No previous research experience is required! This opportunity is ideal for students interested in nursing, healthcare, athletics, psychology, or the science of sleep.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Short

Distribution and relative abundance of Red-eared Sliders and Midland Painted Turtles in Clark County, Ohio

Two species of turtles are frequently encountered around Clark County lakes and ponds: the red-eared slider and the midland painted turtles. Wittenberg and Clark County are in the center of the Midland Painted Turtle’s native distribution. Historical records indicate Red-eared Sliders, one of the world’s most invasive species, were native in the northeastern corner of the county. This project revolves around trying to determine if patterns of distribution support this information. We will use visual surveys to examine the relative distribution and abundance of both turtle species. Are Red-eared Slider’s more abundant in urban ponds? Do Midland Painted Turtles bask in the same areas at similar times compared with Red-eared Sliders? There will be abundant opportunities to personalize the research to student’s interests and passions.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Phillips

First Year Research Scholar in Data Science

The First Year Research Award recipient will be working with Dr. Sachith Dassanayaka, Assistant Professor of Data Science, in his research on well-being as agreed upon in the FYRA Learning Contract. The FYRA Scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to be involved in many aspects of Dr. Sachith’s research, including analyzing disinformation campaigns on social media using machine learning, fake review analysis on online shopping platforms using NLP, data visualization, machine intelligence, and computer networks and security. Recently, Dr. Sachith has been working on building a predictive model in order to identify fake reviews on online shopping platforms such as Amazon and eBay, compare troll networks on social media streams, and implement a social media campaign detection system. Further, He welcomes any research ideas that students like to continue regardless of the subject area. The FYRA recipient will be mentored in these research practices and will have an opportunity to present their work publicly at an undergraduate conference or colloquium at Wittenberg University or a regional conference. Depending on the recipient’s interest and level of involvement, there may also be the potential for co-authorship of manuscripts to be submitted for publication in an academic journal or presentations at professional conferences. Recipients should have good critical thinking, writing skills, and an interest in topics related to data science/computer science.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Dassanayaka

The Laurentian Great Lakes and Environmental Modeling

The recipient will assist with my current research which focuses on addressing concerns related to the Laurentian Great Lakes. The recipient should have an interest in the computer coding and statistical modeling side of ecology and/or environmental science. This project will provide opportunities for the recipient to gain experience in reviewing scientific literature, data management and analysis, and science communication. There is no field or lab component associated with this project. No prior research or computer coding experience is necessary, but the recipient should be willing to learn and develop skills in these areas.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Jaffe

Aerosol Pollution and Nutrient Cycling in Springfield

Despite their small size, aerosols (microscopic particles suspended in the air) have major impacts on human health, especially in cities like Springfield with significant sources of anthropogenic air pollution from manufacturing and agriculture. Aerosols also play a large role in nutrient cycling and regulating global climate. As a recipient, you will aid in maintenance and deployment of air quality sensors and analysis of real-time air quality data to identify pollution hotspots around our campus, city, and county. You will also assist with collection of aerosol samples and learn the intricacies involved in their preservation, processing, and compositional analysis. We will take a closer look at these microscopic particles to understand how they act as vehicles carrying nutrients from the air into our water and soil systems. The recipient should have an interest in environmental chemistry and willingness to work with local stakeholders in a variety of research settings. This position will involve data analysis, fieldwork, and laboratory sample processing. Recipients should have good quantitative reasoning skills and the ability to work independently.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Elliott

Ghosts, Mythology, and the Origins of Christianity

The First Year Research Award recipient will assist Dr. Travis Proctor, Assistant Professor of Religion, in his research on ancient stories about ghosts and their influence on early Christianity. The FYRA Scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to be involved in many aspects of Dr. Proctor’s research, which may include: archival and library research, resource searches via electronic data bases, literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, conference preparation, and various stages of the research writing process. The recipient will have the opportunity to work with Dr. Proctor as a research assistant, developing critical research skills in the humanities, as well as the opportunity to work on writing an individual paper for publication in an undergraduate journal. The FYRA Scholarship recipient also will gain mentorship and guidance in several areas, including research presentation skills, writing proposals, archival research, scholarship review and citation, and academic publication. The FYRA Scholarship recipient will be encouraged to use these skills to develop their own project for potential publication or presentation at an undergraduate research conference. Recipients should have good critical thinking, reading, and/or writing skills and an interest in at least one of the following: biblical studies, history of Christianity, religious studies, ancient history, or the history of ghosts and the supernatural.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Proctor

Gender Representation in Disney Remakes

This project will examine how representations of gender have changed—or remained consistent—in Disney’s live-action remakes of animated films. The FYRA recipient will work with the faculty mentor to systematically examine representations of masculinity and femininity across animated films and their live-action counterparts with particular attention to agency, power, romance arcs, appearance, and emotional expression. The project will compare films from different periods of Disney history, including Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, and Moana with their respective live-action adaptations. The recipient will code and analyze scenes and characters, organize and interpret quantitative data, and contribute to the presentation of research findings. The project will investigate whether contemporary remakes alter established gender roles and expectations or reproduce established patterns in new cultural contexts. The recipient should have strong attention to detail, critical thinking and writing skills, an interest in media and gender studies, and a willingness to learn quantitative research and content-analysis methods.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Dosser

Lament and Liberation?

Wittenberg and the Nehemiah Foundation of Clark County are sponsoring a series of three events for the Springfield community titled "Sacred Space: Poetry and Pain." Attend these events. Engage in social analysis with participants in those poetry events, exploring the cultural, religious, political, and economic factors that intersect in their experiences of individual and collective pain. Engage in a "Contextual Bible Study" around the lament of the biblical character of Job as recorded in Job chapter 3 with participants in which the participants consider Job's experience alongside their own and produce their own laments inspired by Job's lament. What are the ways that practicing lament is cathartic? How does engaging in religous lament facilitate or inhibit personal and social liberation?

Apply Now for FYRA with Pastor Esala

How hot is a flame?

How hot is fire? Is the propane flame a different temperature than a butane flame? What about methane? Flame temperatures can be measured directly with a higher temperature thermocouple. But, they can also be simulated using the adiabatic flame model. Surprisingly, experimental temperatures are roughly half of the theoretical and literature values. Here we will try a new way to get the temperature: heat up some metal until it glows red how. By measuring the spectrum (color) of the light emitted, we can calculate a flame temperature. How do these temperatures compare to the thermocouple and the flame model? A successful project may get published in the Journal of Chemical Education. A student participating in this project will learn some thermodynamics, spectroscopy, and data processing with Excel.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Dudek

Labor Markets, Gender, and Education

I study questions in labor economics related to gender and education. I'm particularly interested in how information, incentives, public policies, and experiences shape economic outcomes and gender differences in the labor market. Examples include how school accountability policies affect college readiness, how wage comparisons influence people's willingness to work, and how gender shapes hiring decisions. To answer these questions, I use both randomized online experiments and large datasets. As my FYRA scholar, you may do background research and literature reviews, collect and organize data, and run basic data analysis. You will get hands-on experience with empirical social-science research, contribute to ongoing projects, and learn how economists use data to study real-world questions. You don't need any prior coursework in economics or statistics. I'm looking for a student who is curious, organized, self-motivated, and interested in education, work, and inequality.

Apply Now for FYRA with Dr. Karaban