Current Research Projects
Applicant: Jennifer Chaytor and Stephanie Brouet
Title: Turning Cardinals Green - Modification of Organic Chemistry Laboratories According to Green Chemistry Principles
Period of Support: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025
Abstract: Under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Chaytor and Dr. Stephanie Brouet, undergraduate students will propose and evaluate modifications to Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II laboratory experiments. The primary goal is to find alternatives to the solvent methylene chloride (also called dichloromethane), as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently determined that it poses an unreasonable risk to human health. Other modifications will seek to improve the adherence of experiments to green chemistry principles.
Applicant: Jaewoo Kim
Title: A Model of Envy Process in a Job Search Context
Period of Support: January 1, 2025 – May 2, 2025
Abstract: Main purpose of this research is to explore whether resume fraud resulted from job search envy actually affects job search outcomes and whether an individual’s capabilities amplify the negative effects of envy such as resume fraud. Based on existing envy theory, I propose that job seekers who have a hard time in the job search process compared to their peers will be more likely to feel envy and engage in resume fraud. I theorize that job seekers with high core self-evaluation (CSE) will feel status warning and be highly motivated to engage in resume fraud based on belief that they can control the situation with high self-esteem when they felt behind. I collected a three-wave field study using South Korean job seeking samples for the current study and my preliminary analysis supports my hypothesized envy process. At this point, I need to investigate existing data with more in-depth analyses, and based on that, I will propose a more nuanced theoretical model and test the model with more rigorous data to be published in the academic journal. To do so, I need an undergraduate researcher who can help organize my data and analyze the results so that I can continue to develop the research. I plan to submit this faculty-led research using the three-wave field study to Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), a nationwide annual conference in organizational behavior/human resource domain, by fall 2025. Through this project, the student researcher is expected to have research experience by engaging in each research stage (i.e., reading research articles, discussing data analysis results, writing the manuscript together, and presenting the paper at the conference).
Applicant: A K M Monayem Mazumder
Title: Grounded Electrode Effect on Gas Pumping by a Two-Stage EHD Pump
Period of Support: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025
Abstract: In this study, gas pumping by a two-stage EHD (electrohydrodynamic) pump with 56 emitting electrodes and 1-inch-wide grounded electrode in four walls will be considered. The flow will be induced by the gas pump which is charged at a combination of three different operating voltages (20 kV, 24 kV, and 28 kV). To achieve the maximum enhancement in gas pumping, the emitting electrodes will be flush mounted on the channel walls so that the induced flow produced directly disturbs the boundary layer thickness. This will lead to a higher velocity near the channel walls and resulting in an inverted parabolic velocity profile at the center of the channel, which is opposite to the fully developed velocity profile of a forced flow. Fluid velocities will be measured at three cross-sections along the channel length and then integrated to obtain the volume flow rate. In addition to the volume flow rate produced, the performance of the pump will be evaluated using an energy efficiency factor. The two-stage EHD gas pump, which can be produced and sustained air flows with a maximum volume flow rate will be considered more efficient when it is operated with uneven applied voltages. Students will perform a literature review for EHD techniques to gain complete research experience. They will involve the experimental setup design needed to perform the experiments. In that way, students will gain hands-on experience.
Applicant: Rhett Mohler
Title: Mapping European frogbit on the Shiawassee River State Game Area with UAV imagery
Period of Support: January 1, 2025 – May 2, 2025
Abstract: European frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) is a highly invasive wetland plant that looks like a miniature lily pad. If not treated, frogbit can quickly spread to form dense monocultures that choke off shallow channels and other open-water areas. Consequently, wetland managers are interested in tracking the spread of this plant to better prioritize their control efforts and evaluate the effectiveness of their control efforts (usually herbicide treatments or hand-pulling). Imagery from Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has the potential to detect frogbit in areas of wetlands that are not easily accessed on foot, leading to more effective treatment. In summer of 2024, I imaged several large patches of frogbit on the Shiawassee River State Game Area (SRSGA). If this grant application is successful, I will hire a student to help me investigate the ability to detect and map frogbit in UAV imagery. If the project is successful (frogbit can be successfully mapped in UAV imagery), we will share any maps that we make with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to help inform their treatment processes in the future. Although I already gathered the UAV imagery over the past summer out of necessity, I will heavily involve the student researcher in all other steps of the research process, from conducting background research and designing the study, to processing the imagery in the laboratory, to disseminating the results of the research.