Barrett Small Network Hero

Data Analytics and Mathematics

Explore the various projects below categorized under the general theme of Data Analytics and Mathematics. Be sure to return to the Barrett College Fellows Program main page and explore projects under the other 11 themes as well. You might be surprised at what you find and maybe you will discover the perfect research project for what you hope to study!

Please do not contact the research centers or faculty listed below directly (a formal application process is a required step to joining these research opportunities).

For questions about the Barrett College Fellows Program or specific research projects, please contact Dr. Sarah Graff at: BarrettCollegeFellows@exchange.asu.edu.

Back to Barrett College Fellows main page

Research projects

Project # 13

Center name:
Campus/Location: Downtown
Faculty lead: Sian Mughan

Project description

This overall objective of this project is to investigate how the retail sale of marijuana effects economic development in Arizona communities. In April 2019 the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services (ADHS) held a lottery to distribute 13 licenses for adult use (recreational henceforth) licenses. In the initial phase of this project we will use statistical techniques to analyze large, administrative datasets to compare economic development outcomes (house prices, retail sales, foot traffic, etc.) in areas surrounding a dispensary to outcomes in areas surrounding addresses that applied for but did not receive a dispensary license. Later phases of the project might involve field work (interviewing local policy makers for example), extending the quasi-experimental approach to other geographic areas and grant development.

Special skills needed

Experience collecting and recording data; programming skills in R, Python, and/or Stata; interest in public affairs/public policy; ability to work independently; strong critical thinking and analysis skills

Majors

Public Affairs/Public Policy, Economics, Political Science, Criminal Justice, Statistics

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Law, Justice, and Public Service, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 14

Center name: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Campus/Location: Downtown
Faculty lead: Aaron Guest

Project description

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is one of 120 Lifelong Learning Institutes in the United States. Housed in the ASU Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, OLLI at ASU engages in research pertaining to lifelong learning, adult education, and community building. We take pride in that our work is both research-inspired and research-inspiring. The incumbent for this position would assist in the OLLI Lifelong Needs Assessment and Moonshot Project.

Special skills needed

1. Attention to Detail: Ensuring accuracy in coding, data input, and interpretation.
2. Strong Written and Oral Communication: Articulating findings, synthesizing literature, and collaborating with team members.
3. Critical Thinking: Identifying patterns, drawing inferences, and addressing gaps in data or literature.
4. Time Management: Handling multiple tasks and meeting deadlines.
5. Collaboration: Working effectively in a team environment.
6. Flexibility: Adapting to evolving project needs and feedback.
7. Familiarity with literature reviews, data analysis, and surveys is beneficial.

Majors

Open to all majors, with an emphasis on Business, Social Sciences, and Health Programs

Years

2nd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Business and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Health and Wellness, Journalism, Communication, and Mass Media, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 19

Center name: Social Network Among Caregivers
Campus/Location: Downtown, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Aaron Guest

Project description

The SNAC Lab has two active projects, with additional ones under development; you will contribute as a productive and active team member. The first aims to understand caregivers' weekly activities, who they spend time with, and where to design more effective programs and support. The second project seeks to understand the social network composition of unpaid caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related dementia and evaluate how these networks support the well-being and resilience of the caregivers. You will be able to develop skills and expertise in social network analysis, geospatial analysis, and mixed methods research, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.

You will be responsible for assisting in data analysis, cleaning, and preparing manuscripts and presentations.

Special skills needed

Students should be self-motivated and self-driven. They should be able to commit to a set number of hours per week, be familiar with journal articles, and identify research. They should be familiar with Google Office (sheets, documents), Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint), and Adobe.

Familiarity with Qualitative and Quantitative Research a plus, but not necessary.

Majors

Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Medical Sciences, Computer Sciences, etc.

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Health and Wellness, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 28

Center name: Children's Equity Project
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Shantel Meek

Project description

The Children’s Equity Project is led in partnership with researchers and advocates at several universities and organizations across the United States. Our work focuses on closing opportunity gaps and advancing equity in all of the systems that impact the lives of children and families so that all children, particularly those from historically and contemporary marginalized communities, can thrive.

The CEP works at the intersection of research, practice, and policy. We engage in rigorous original research, partner with policy makers at every level of government to support data and research informed policy changes that will advance opportunity for children from historically marginalized communities; and engage with communities to deliver training, technical assistance, and professional development. We are informed by families' voices through our family advisory committee, lived experiences, data, and research, and have deep expertise in child development, policy, and systems.

Special skills needed

No pre skills required, just dedication and interest in our mission

Majors

Policy, education, sociology, family development, early childhood education, etc

Years

3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Humanities, Law, Justice, and Public Service, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Sustainability

Project # 34

Center name: Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics
Campus/Location: Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Qiyun Zhu

Project description

Dr. Qiyun Zhu is leading a DOE-funded project to enhance scikit-bio (https://scikit.bio/), a renowned open-source Python library for bioinformatics. Scikit-bio offers a range of algorithms and data structures extensively utilized in biological data analysis. Our goal is to augment its capabilities, particularly in handling and interpreting large-scale, multi-layered biological data (multi-omics), crucial for unraveling the intricate interactions among organisms and the environment. Specifically, we seek to recruite 1-3 students to add and refine functionalities for 1) efficient processing of diverse data types, 2) seamless integration of multi-omic datasets, and 3) characterization and labeling (annotation) of biological elements. This opportunity is a gateway for students to collaborate with leading bioinformatics experts and software engineers. Ideal candidates should have a keen interest in open-source scientific computing and a basic understanding of programming, preferably in Python. Students from diverse academic backgrounds who are enthusiastic about merging computing with biology are encouraged to apply. Participants will receive hands-on experience in contributing to high-quality software, valuable mentorship, and skill development that is highly desired in both academic and industry settings. This experience will be a significant stepping stone in your career in bioinformatics, software development, or data science.

Special skills needed

- Strong programming skills, preferably in Python, is essential for this position.
- Experience in open-source software development is highly preferable but not essential.
- Experience or interest in machine learning, computer science, mathematics, or statistics is preferrable but not essential.
- Experience or interest in evolutionary biology, ecology, genetics, molecular biology, or any other biology fields is preferrable but not essential.
- The applicant may read the scikit-bio guideline for contribution: https://scikit.bio/contribute.html to assess their comfortableness with the development work.

Majors

Any major is appropriate, as long as you have the right skillset. Some successful candidates were from majors such as Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Mathematics, Statistics, etc.

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Health and Wellness

Project # 38

Center name: Simon A Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Fabio Milner

Project description

It has been established that phone dating app users tend to engage in riskier behavior for STI transmission than non-users. We want to begin by describing the age-sex structure of the sexually active population and use mathematical modeling to study the connection between dating apps use and increased STI incidence.

Special skills needed

Calculus 1 (differentiation) and some experience computing is desirable (MATLAB and/or Python).

Majors

All

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Health and Wellness, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 42

Center name:
Campus/Location: Downtown
Faculty lead: Preethika Sainam

Project description

Project 1: Impact of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Ruling on the Real Estate Market
This project aims to analyze the impact of the NAR ruling on home prices, the availability of listings, and other significant changes in the real estate market. The NAR settlement introduced shifts in how home buyers and sellers interact with the market, and this research will explore the resulting trends and implications. Students will work with datasets related to real estate listings, pricing trends, and market accessibility to identify and quantify these changes.

Faculty Lead: Preethika Sainam
Number of Students: 2
Required Skills: Experience in data cleaning, manipulation, and basic data analysis techniques.

Project 2: Effects of Post-Tenure Review Law in Florida on Professor Retention
This project investigates the recent changes to Florida’s post-tenure review law and their effects on professor retention rates across career stages. The goal is to determine whether these legislative changes are influencing career decisions within academia. Students will analyze retention patterns using academic datasets, focusing on faculty attrition, retention, and career progression trends in Florida.

Faculty Lead: Preethika Sainam
Number of Students: 2
Required Skills: Experience in data cleaning, manipulation, and basic data analysis techniques.
These projects provide a hands-on opportunity to apply data analytics skills to timely and impactful policy changes.

Special skills needed

General Skills for Both Projects
1. Data Cleaning and Preparation
Handling missing data, duplicates, and outliers.
Formatting and structuring datasets for analysis.

2. Data Analysis
Using statistical techniques to identify trends and patterns.
Familiarity with descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, etc.).
Basic Programming Skills

3. Proficiency in Python for data manipulation and analysis.
Familiarity with libraries such as pandas, NumPy, and matplotlib.

4. Statistical Software Knowledge
Experience with tools like R, SPSS, or Excel for statistical analysis.

5. Data Visualization
Creating clear and informative graphs, charts, and visual summaries of data.
Using tools like matplotlib or Tableau.

Majors

Computer Science, Economics, Statistics, Business

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 3rd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 49

Center name: School of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences (SoMSS)
Campus/Location: Tempe, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Heyrim Cho

Project description

In many cancers, cellular heterogeneity plays a significant role in resistance to treatment and tumor recurrence. Thus, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of how a tumor’s growth dynamics and its response to treatment influence – and are influenced by – cellular heterogeneity and the interactions between different cell populations, in order to make more accurate predictions about treatment responses. In this project, we will develop and compare different experimental designs and data collection protocols to accurately infer and predict tumor interaction types and radiotherapy responses.

Special skills needed

ODE/Differential equation, Matlab coding, some concepts in probability and statistics

Majors

Applied Math, Computational biology

Years

3rd Year Students, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 51

Center name: Center for Global Health
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Amber Wutich

Project description

AW4A’s goal is to advance water security in Arizona’s most water-insecure households. Our international, interdisciplinary team works under the leadership of MacArthur Fellow, Dr. Amber Wutich. Based on the premise that it is impossible to create meaningful environmental justice impacts in communities without establishing trust and committing to long-haul connections with those communities, we are building a multi-stakeholder network facilitated through a partnership between Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the University of Arizona (U of A) to engage and co-develop projects with water-insecure communities across the state.

At the AW4A network, we expect to create in-person and virtual spaces that allow stakeholders who are experiencing water insecurity to learn from each other, build leadership and advocacy capacity, and enhance existing opportunities for collaboration. Fully integrated into the AW4A team, the Barrett College Fellow will take a leading role in building this collaborative network, developing and implementing the effective relationship building and communication strategies that are vital to its success. This involves hosting workshops and webinars, as well as maintaining newsletters, blogs, graphic creations, and other media tasks to keep our partners and community engaged with our work.

Special skills needed

We are seeking a dynamic student invested in learning how to create and maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders involved in socio-environmental issues (i.e., water security in low-income communities) across Arizona. Skills that are valued are:
Strong written and verbal communication skills that enhance the quality of team and project outputs.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to deal with unexpected situations.
A desire to work on complex problems as part of an interdisciplinary team.
Curiosity and learning mindset about stakeholder engagement and community-based research.
Minimum basic understanding of Spanish.
Ability to work with Canva or other graphic design software.
Ability to work with Mailchimp or other newsletter design and distribution software.

Majors

Business, management, marketing, and related support services,
Marketing/marketing management,
Multi-/interdisciplinary studies,
Journalism,
Environmental studies,
Communication sciences and disorders,
Anthropology,
Global Health,
Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies,
Graphic design,
Digital communication and media/multimedia,
Environmental design/architecture,
Geography,
Environmental/environmental health engineering

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Law, Justice, and Public Service, Art, Architecture, and Design, Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Engineering, Health and Wellness, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sustainability

Project # 52

Center name: Human Biometeorology Lab & Heat Ready
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Jennifer Vanos

Project description

We have various opportunities for students to gain experience on projects doing field work that relates to extreme heat. Working in our HeatReady program on schools and neighborhoods, collecting data as part of our integrated urban field laboratory, working with physiological data and models, and working in our thermal chamber with our manikin, ANDI.
The faculty lead would generally be Jennifer Vanos.

Special skills needed

Motivated, good initiative, instrumentation, working with data (statistics, processing, visualizations, GIS), interest in fieldwork in the heat, working with the community and stakeholders

Majors

Geography & Urban planning, Sustainability, Engineering (Built environment), Health Solutions

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Health and Wellness, Sustainability

Project # 54

Center name: Imaging Informatics Research (JLiang Lab)
Campus/Location: Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Jianming Liang

Project description

This is a set of projects aiming to develop novel methods and systems in artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence (AGI), and deep learning (DL) towards multimodal medical foundation models for medicine, imaging, and clinical reports (based on ChatGPT/GPT-4, Gemini/Bard, and LLaMA) to support clinical decision-making and facilitate precision medicine. While my lab is working on the brain, heart, lung, skin, eye, and abdomen diseases across modalities (images, lab tests, reports, videos, and audio) you may choose to focus on one particular condition at one specific modality based on your interest. My lab has the infrastructure to accommodate multiple students in this research direction.

Special skills needed

Skills required:
1) Strong programming skills in Python -- you have taken courses in computer science and programming, and have experience in using GitHub;
2) Good understanding of machine (deep) learning -- you have taken courses in machine learning, and gained experience in training AI models;
3) Determination to pursue majors in computer science, computer engineering, data science and analytics, robotics and autonomous systems, software engineering, biomedical informatics, and biomedical engineering;
4) Deep commitment to conducting rigorous experiments to establish state-of-the-art baselines, and
5) Strong desire to publish a paper at a top conference and turn it into a journal article in your first year with my lab.

Majors

Biomedical Informatics and Data Science;
Computer Science;
Computer Engineering;
Robotics and Autonomous Systems;
Data Science, Analytics, and Engineering;
Software Engineering; and
Biomedical Engineering

Years

3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 2nd Year Students, First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Health and Wellness, Law, Justice, and Public Service, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 56

Center name: STEMMA: Systems of Transmitting Early Modern Manuscript Verse, 1475–1700
Campus/Location: Fully remote, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Erin McCarthy

Project description

STEMMA is an interdisciplinary project that develops and applies a data-driven approach in order to provide the first macro-level view of the circulation of early modern English poetry in manuscript. It focuses on English verse manuscripts written and used between the introduction of printing in England in 1475 and 1700, by which time the rapid changes in both literary taste and publishing norms ushered in by the Restoration had fully transformed literary culture. The project includes manuscripts circulating in England and anywhere else English was spoken and read, including Ireland, the North American colonies, and continental exile communities.

We are seeking motivated and enthusiastic honors student researchers to join the STEMMA project team. As part of this multidisciplinary project, you will be involved in computational research that seeks to uncover hidden connections between early modern texts, focusing on the movement of English poetry through manuscript miscellanies. This position provides an excellent opportunity for students with an interest in literature, digital humanities, data analytics, and/or network analysis. Students are welcome to build upon their work in their honors theses/projects.
* Students may explore the possibility of traveling to Galway and attend the STEMMA Hackathon and John Donne Society Conference in Summer 2025 in Ireland. *

Prof. Erin McCarthy (BA, ASU '05) is the Principal Investigator of STEMMA, but her team comprises doctoral and postdoctoral researchers with expertise in literary studies, history, digital humanities, and computational methods. Students would therefore have access to a range of scholars at different career stages.

Special skills needed

"A background in English literature, history, digital humanities, data science, design, and/or statistics.
Strong analytical skills and a willingness to learn new computational methods.
Interest in early modern literature, manuscript studies, or network analysis.
Basic experience with data analysis tools or other relevant software is a plus.
Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
Ability to manage time effectively and handle multiple tasks."

Majors

All majors will be considered upon application, but the opportunity may be of particular interest to students in the following areas:
English,
History,
Multi-/interdisciplinary studies,
Computer and information sciences,
Mathematics

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Humanities

Project # 58

Center name: Simon A Levin Mathematical Computational and Modeling Sciences Center
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Fabio Milner

Project description

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are very common, particularly among 18-to-24-year-olds. It has been observed that they are more common among dating app users than among non-users. If we want to study a possible causal relation or correlation between STI incidence and use of dating apps, we must first know the structure of the sexually active population, hopefully by age and sex. We also need to know the rate at which the various groups considered in the structure acquire new individuals (onset or restart of sexual activity) and the rate at which they lose them (cessation of sexual activity). Building a model for this population will be the first step in the project. The next step will be to build a model for the transmission of STIs across the groups in the sexually active population. This will involve the collection and preparation of data, parameter fitting, research question(s) formulation, experimental design to answer the question(s), and analysis of scenarios. This exciting project will be hands-on, not lecture style. Participants will be responsible for conducting literature reviews, selecting and summarizing articles, discussing and carrying out model formulation, formulating research question(s) and analyzing results that help answer them.

Special skills needed

Quantitative and analytical thinking, Understanding the meaning of and using derivatives and differentiation (calculus 1)

Majors

All

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Health and Wellness, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 60

Center name: Project is part of the OpenForest4D, funded by the NSF
Campus/Location: Tempe, Flexible to remote and/or in-person, Fully remote
Faculty lead: Chelsea Scott

Project description

Forests change over time due to a variety of processes, including wildfires, droughts, invasive species, logging, and anthropogenic development. Quantifying these changes is important for understanding biomass loss, biodiversity conservation, fire severity assessment, post-fire regeneration, and soil erosion prevention. This project is part of a larger project that focuses on measuring forest characteristics from remote sensing data and analyzing how forests change following a landscape disturbance.

In this project, the student will analyze remote sensing data like satellite imagery and lidar using GIS (geospatial information system) tools. The student will manually map features like trees and will measure canopy height. The student will then work to compare these manual measurements to measurements derived using automatic workflows. This project contributes to assessing the accuracy of automatic workflows of deriving forest characteristics and understanding how forests change over time.

Special skills needed

Background in geospatial information system (GIS), remote sensing, and/or ecology,
Excited to learn how to map trees from remote sensing data,
High attention to detail (there is a lot of information in the remote sensing data),
Commitment to attending weekly in-person or virtual meetings and discussing progress and challenges

Majors

Earth and Environmental Sciences/ Earth and Space Exploration,
Geography,
Geographic Information Science,
Ocean Futures,
Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology and Ecology),
I would accept other on these themes

Years

3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Sustainability

Project # 61

Center name: BEAR Lab
Campus/Location: Downtown
Faculty lead: Candace Lewis

Project description

Research highlights a complex interplay between the gut microbiome and mental health, particularly in aging populations. This research seeks to explore the effects of psilocybin on the gut microbiome of aged mice. Using 16S rRNA sequencing to analyze fecal samples collected from mice treated with either psilocybin or saline, we aim to identify changes in microbial diversity and composition associated with psilocybin administration.

The analysis will prioritize microbial taxa linked to neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory pathways, given their critical roles in the gut-brain axis and cognitive health. By comparing microbial profiles between psilocybin-treated and saline-treated groups, the study could uncover how psilocybin modulates the gut microbiota and its potential impact on age-related behaviors like anxiety, depression, and memory.

This research has the potential to reveal novel microbiome-mediated mechanisms underlying psilocybin's effects. Insights gained could advance the preclinical evaluation of psilocybin as a therapeutic intervention for aging-related conditions, including dementia, offering a deeper understanding of its role in promoting mental and neurological health during aging.

Special skills needed

Experience in data analyses/coding, can be from prior research experience or course work.

Majors

Biology, microbiology, neuroscience, psychology, or related majors

Years

3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 65

Center name: Decision Theater
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Manfred Laubichler

Project description

The Decision Theater is developing innovative decision-support tools to address critical challenges in Arizona's energy and environmental landscape. In examining the future energy landscape, DT is developing a data-driven model that will guide stakeholders in evaluating novel energy sources, including nuclear options, to meet the state’s 20 GW demand from coal and oil closures and new growth, while balancing safety, security, and efficiency concerns. DT also aims to map ozone pollution and risks that may trigger EPA-imposed restrictions on development. Decision Theater will integrate these data streams and models into cohesive visualizations, ultimately, to support decision-making across industry, government, and communities through understanding complex financial, regulatory, environmental, and societal factors.

Special skills needed

This position will assist the Decision Theater staff with subject-matter research and analysis which may include:
Writing briefs,
Briefing colleagues on background for topics,
Researching through complex techniques and procedures, library research, structured
interviews or other project-specific methodology,
Writing and editing material for publication and presentation,
Maintaining research documentation and sources,
Running models and tools for presentations to clients and visitors

Qualifications include:
Demonstrated public speaking experience,
Strong qualitative research skills,
Strong written and verbal communication skills,
Detail-oriented,
Ability to pick up things fast with a strong desire to learn,
Demonstrated leadership experience,
Previous knowledge or skill and/or equivalent experience in Outlook, MS Office Suite,
Word, and Excel, specifically macros and functions,
Experience with collaborative platforms such as Google Docs,
Ability to lift/move heavy furniture with the assistance of a dolly,
Interest in learning how to utilize technology to support decision-making and public policy

Majors

All majors are appropriate but may be best suited for those in Sustainability, Complex Adaptive Systems, Fulton Engineering, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, WP Carey (Business Analytics), Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Sustainability

Project # 75

Center name: College of Health Solutions
Campus/Location: Downtown
Faculty lead: My VT Phan

Project description

My lab research aims to document the local viruses found in the environment in Maricopa County (eg. dust, air, water, insects). The project will involve sample handling, extraction of nucleic acids and genomic sequencing using the MinION platform. The resulting sequence data will be computationally processed to identify virus genomic sequences and important patterns will be examined. Some possible questions to be answered are: (a) are there geographical or condition-specific viruses, (b) what additional features determine the type and abundance of local environmental viruses, and (c) how do local patterns compare to those observed in other parts of the world? Depending on student’s background and research interests, the student will have the opportunity to learn (i) how a biological experiment in virus genomics is set up; (ii) knowledge and experience in both wet-lab (molecular biology) and dry-lab (bioinformatics) in virus genomics research; (iii) rapid MinION sequencing, and (iv) phylogenetics analyses to virus sequence data.

Special skills needed

The student is expected to have some experience with molecular biology (eg. basic lab safety, pipetting) and basic computer skills. Careful attention to detail, organization and time management are essential.

Majors

Microbiology, Evolutionary Biology, Evolution and Medicine, Environmental Life Sciences, Biology, Molecular Biology, Computational Life Sciences, Molecular Biology

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Health and Wellness

Project # 76

Center name: Center for Biological Design and Biomimetics
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Petr Sulc

Project description

Have you ever tried to assemble Legos just by shaking the box? Nature does this successfully all the time, and in biomolecular nanotechnology, we try to imitate this process to construct nanoscale machines. We use designed molecules (made out of DNA, RNA, or proteins) as basic building blocks that self-assemble and arrange in 3D to create nanoscale structures and devices, with applications ranging from biomanufacturing to diagnostics and therapeutics. Our group develops design and simulation tools to understand the device assembly and operation, and we are seeking to enhance our tools by AI-driven design component (e.g. training machine learning models to help to automate the design and verification of nanostructure in-silico, integration of chatGPT into the tools, etc). The work will be performed in close collaboration with the experimental section of our lab, and we will aim to experimentally verify some of the AI-generated designs.

Special skills needed

We are seeking students with experience with coding in javascript, python and/or C++. Prior experience with machine learning and training of deep neural networks / LLMs is a plus.

Majors

Computer science, Physics, Math, Engineering

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering

Project # 77

Center name: Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center
Campus/Location: Flexible to remote and/or in-person, Fully remote
Faculty lead: Beckett Sterner

Project description

This project studies viruses detected in North American rodents to advance understanding of reservoir hosts and improve risk modeling for zoonotic disease spread. It will be the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of studies publishing virus detection results and experimental or statistical studies of factors that influence disease spread. Students with an interest in biology (no prior skills required) can join an ongoing team that extracts and analyzes virus detection studies. Students with some prior computational or statistics background can join a team working on data visualization and analytics. Both tracks can accommodate as many students as are interested and have the relevant background. We have had many prior honors fellows go on to do successful thesis projects based on the data they extract, and we encourage students to develop publishable journal articles from their work.

Special skills needed

Students with an interest in biology (no prior skills required) can join an ongoing team that extracts and analyzes virus detection studies. Students with some prior computational or statistics background (e.g. ability to program or analyze data to produce statistical summaries and trends) can join a team working on data visualization and analytics.

Majors

Biology, Computer Science, Math, Data Science, Statistics, Physics

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Health and Wellness

Project # 78

Center name: SILC
Campus/Location: Tempe, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Olga Kellert

Project description

This project examines how social backgrounds influence the understanding of COVID-19 information disseminated by high-impact news outlets in Peru and Ecuador. Using data collected from indigenous and non-indigenous communities, the study employs interdisciplinary methods, including statistical analyses, to evaluate belief states and their alignment with news content (Reference Corpus).

Honor students will analyze the dataset (provided in Excel) to determine whether knowledge about virus treatment varies by cultural, linguistic, age, or gender differences. They will also contextualize their findings within broader social and cultural research frameworks. This project offers students a practical, hands-on experience in quantitative analysis while emphasizing the integration of cultural contexts into data interpretation.

Special skills needed

Familiarity with quantitative data analysis techniques and tools (e.g., Excel, R, or Python). Basic understanding of research methods, particularly in social sciences. Cultural sensitivity and interest in working with diverse populations and data. Understand Spanish or use Google Translate.

Majors

Social and Behavioral sciences, Data analytics/Statistics

Years

3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 79

Center name: School of Complex Adaptive Systems
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Enrico Borriello

Project description

A key focus of complexity studies is understanding how interactions within dynamic networks give rise to emergent complexity and behaviors. By joining this project, the student will have the opportunity to explore the fundamental principles of network theory, including key concepts and quantitative metrics for analyzing network properties at both global and local scales. They will apply mathematical models and computational tools to investigate the structure and dynamics of complex systems across a variety of real-world domains, ranging from biological to social and technological networks.

Specifically, the student will gain the tools to identify network motifs associated with the directional transfer of information and uncover how these motifs relate to overall network functionality and behavior. This project provides a data-driven approach to tackling complexity science problems, integrating analytical methodologies with Python-based computational tools.

Special skills needed

Basic understanding of calculus, probability and statistics, and Python.

Majors

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, 2nd Year Students, First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 97

Center name: OASIS Learning Futures Collaborative; Mary Lou Fulton College
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Erin Rotheram-Fuller

Project description

We can support up to four students for this project where we are using drama during story time to increase communication, engagement and literacy skills for preschool aged children who are minimally verbal.

Special skills needed

Good organizational skills, enjoy watching and playing with young children, interest in understanding disabilities and early education engagement strategies, and attention to detail!

Majors

This would be ideal for students in the social sciences and education majors. We have several parts of the project that students can take part in, from play-based assessments in schools, to online coding of classroom videos. There is also an opportunity to build and use databases, and assist in analyses for those who are interested (but not required!). This is also an ideal match for students from any field who are interested in learning more about children with disabilities.

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Health and Wellness, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 98

Center name: SolarSPELL
Campus/Location: Tempe, Fully remote, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Laura Hosman

Project description

SolarSPELL is seeking a team of students who are passionate about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to curate regionally-relevant, open-access, educational content for the collections in the SolarSPELL library. Students will review, research, and select high-quality STEM resources that align with the curricula and educational needs of SolarSPELL’s target regions, including countries in the Pacific Islands, East Africa, Northeast Syria, and Southern Africa. Interns will focus on ensuring that materials are engaging, culturally appropriate, and suitable for offline learning environments. This project will also involve identifying gaps in the existing library collections and sourcing innovative content that supports foundational STEM education and sparks curiosity in learners worldwide.

Special skills needed

- Interest in STEM Education: Passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics topics.
- Ability to thrive in a team environment and work effectively with others.
- Detail oriented and reliable; a strong and honest work ethic motivates you
- Globally minded; you have a desire to work for a department that serves communities from all over the world

Majors

All majors

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Engineering, Sustainability

Project # 104

Center name: Collective Logic Lab
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Bryan Daniels

Project description

Honey bees solve collective challenges on a daily basis. The aggregate work output of a colony is resilient and adaptive to environmental changes. Information exchange between bees is crucial to these collective outcomes. In this project, using existing honey bee tracking data, we will construct a classifier that predicts bee behavior based on where it is in the hive and which other bees it interacts with. This will eventually be developed into a computational model of bee decision-making. This project will involve data science techniques and coding in Python.

Special skills needed

Some degree of familiarity or desire to learn programming and data analysis in Python.

Majors

I am open to a diversity of backgrounds. This project could be a good fit for students interested in applied math, computer engineering, data analytics, computer science, physics, or biology.

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 105

Center name: Collective Logic Lab, School of Complex Adaptive Systems
Campus/Location: Tempe
Faculty lead: Bryan Daniels

Project description

Inside each of your cells, a complicated choreography determines which proteins will be produced and how the cell will behave. This can be understood using Boolean networks: For instance, if gene X and gene Y are expressed, then this will cause gene Z to be expressed. Large networks of these interactions, essentially Boolean logic gates, define how cells respond to their environment or change into different cell types. Experimental data on the expression of genes in single cells is giving us greater insight into the logic of these networks. The long-term goal of this project is to develop an algorithm to convert gene expression data to a prediction of which genes can most easily control a cell's fate. This project will involve data analysis and writing code in Python.

Special skills needed

Some degree of familiarity or desire to learn programming and data analysis in Python.

Majors

We are open to a diversity of backgrounds. This project could be a good fit for students interested in applied math, computer engineering, data analytics, computer science, physics, or biology.

Years

2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 111

Center name: Thinking Across Languages and Contexts (TALC) Lab
Campus/Location: West, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Alex Carstensen

Project description

Do speakers of different languages think about the world in qualitatively different ways, or do they just talk about it differently? How do children learn to understand abstract ideas, like similarity or time, and how do their day-to-day experiences with language and culture shape their cognitive development?

This research investigates similarities and differences in cognition between kids and adults from different contexts, as a function of the language(s) they speak and the cultures they have experience with. Our studies involve interactive puzzle games like guessing how to make a music box play or identifying a hidden picture, and open-ended play, like drawing pictures on a tablet. We use responses in these games to infer the structure of our participants’ concepts, and identify influences from language, culture, and other experiences.

Fellows will be instrumental in recruiting participants and collecting data from speakers of their language, including English! Data collection will occur on campus in our lab testing space and off campus at schools, museums, and other organizations like the Desert Botanical Garden. The ideal candidate is motivated, organized, excellent at working independently, and passionate about science and research in general.

Special skills needed

- We are currently seeking applicants who are fluent speakers of English, Spanish, Korean, Hindi, Telugu, and Gujarati, but bilinguals in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and other languages are also encouraged to apply.
- Multilingual and multicultural students are particularly encouraged to apply, especially those with Asian or Indigenous American heritage (in any part of the Americas: north, central, and south).
- Fellows wanting to work with kids should have extensive experience with young children, ages 3-8 years, though this may be in formal (e.g., daycare, summer camp) or informal (family) settings.
- Experience with R, javascript, php, and other programming languages is a bonus.
- Applicants must be available to run studies and participate in lab activities at least 10 hours per week.

Majors

Psychology, linguistics, education, data science, sociology, anthropology, interdisciplinary studies

Years

First Year Students (new to ASU Fall 2025), 2nd Year Students, 3rd Year Students, 4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Education, Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Project # 113

Center name: Sustainable Critical Minerals and Communities Laboratory
Campus/Location: Tempe, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Datu Buyung Agusdinata

Project description

In 2023, wind energy accounts for over 10% of electricity generation in the U.S., making it the country's largest renewable energy source. The U.S. has installed more than 145 GW of wind capacity. Offshore wind, though nascent, is projected to reach 30 GW by 2030.

The project explores the future evolution of wind energy technologies in the United States. In modeling such dynamics, the project will consider factors such as policy incentives, Innovations in turbine design, retirement rate of old turbines, availability of land and critical minerals, and installation and operating costs. The project covers both onshore wind farms and offshore projects. Based on several projections of wind energy capacity and the existing wind farm database, the project will use an Excel spreadsheet to model the retirement and addition of wind turbines for 2025-2050.

Special skills needed

Spreadsheet modeling, statistical and data analysis, basic software coding

Majors

Engineering, Technology, Sustainability

Years

3rd Year Students, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work)

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Sustainability

Project # 119

Center name: Sustainable Critical Minerals and Communities Laboratory
Campus/Location: Tempe, Polytechnic, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Datu Buyung Agusdinata

Project description

Arizona has a long history as a hub for mining, particularly copper. While mining has contributed significantly to the state’s economy, it has also left a legacy of environmental degradation, including water contamination, habitat destruction, and pollution, along with social challenges such as land disputes and the marginalization of Indigenous and local communities. These issues underscore the need for a more equitable and sustainable approach to mining operations.
This project aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to support just and sustainable mining practices in Arizona by designing a communication platform/interface to enhance collaboration among stakeholders, including mining companies, government agencies, local communities, and advocacy groups. The AI-powered platform will promote trust-building, transparency, and informed decision-making by facilitating data sharing, real-time monitoring of environmental and social impacts, and conflict resolution.

Special skills needed

AI applications, Data analytics, social and environmental justice

Majors

Computer science, Sustainability

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 3rd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Sustainability

Project # 120

Center name: Water Equity Lab
Campus/Location: Tempe, Flexible to remote and/or in-person
Faculty lead: Maura Allaire

Project description

The Water Equity Lab within the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (SGSUP) is launching a multidisciplinary study of how climate and governance shape access to adequate water and wastewater services. Little is known about the social dimensions of onsite infrastructure or how climate change will impact such systems. Regional modeling will examine the effectiveness of state, county, and local policies; findings can identify practices that enable resilience of wastewater systems under more frequent and extreme precipitation events.

Special skills needed

Strong analysis skills, including statistical modeling and/or spatial analysis. Interest in water infrastructure and/or environmental policy.

Majors

Sustainability, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Economics, Business Management, Computer Science

Years

4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sustainability

Project # 130

Center name: Online research on honeybee colonies
Campus/Location: Tempe, Polytechnic
Faculty lead: Hong Lei

Project description

As an eusocial species, honeybee colonies are known to demonstrate age dependent behaviors. Young bees take care of the brood; older bees become forager. At any given time, different individuals are performing different behaviors in the hive. Recognizing and quantify these behaviors is important for understanding organizing principles of a society, but this task is challenging because of large number of bees. Could this work be automated by a computerized tracker powered by machine learning?

Special skills needed

Machine learning, Matlab, Arduino, Jetson Nano, computer vision

Majors

Computer science, Biology

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics, Engineering

Project # 132

Center name: Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center
Campus/Location: Fully remote
Faculty lead: Chandra Earl

Project description

This project applies occupancy modeling—a statistical method for estimating species presence and detection probabilities—to NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network) species data. While there is no predefined research question, students will have the opportunity to develop their own biological question and apply these models to explore species distributions and habitat use. This project is ideal for students interested in ecological research, quantitative modeling, and gaining experience with NEON data while addressing species and environmental dynamics.

All projects will have myself as a faculty lead (with others assisting depending on the project) and I'd accept one student per project.

Special skills needed

Students must be computer savvy and either have some familiarity with data science/coding (either in Python or R) or the desire/time to learn the fundamentals as a part of the internship. While an interest in general biology/ecology is preferred as these projects lie at the intersection of computer science and biology, deep knowledge is not necessary.

Majors

Biological Sciences, Biology, Data Science, Environmental Science

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 133

Center name: Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center
Campus/Location: Fully remote
Faculty lead: Chandra Earl

Project description

This project focuses on building an automated pipeline to collect biodiversity data from Reddit and upload it to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Using Python, SQL, and Apache Airflow, the pipeline processes posts related to species sightings and geographic locations. The student will work on implementing and optimizing a cloud-based workflow, integrating the ChatGPT API for data extraction, and ensuring the extracted data meets quality and formatting standards for GBIF. This project provides hands-on experience in data engineering, pipeline development, and leveraging AI-powered tools to solve global biodiversity challenges.

All projects will have myself as a faculty lead (with others assisting depending on the project) and I'd accept one student per project.

Special skills needed

Students must be computer savvy and either have some familiarity with data science/coding (either in Python or R) or the desire/time to learn the fundamentals as a part of the internship. While an interest in general biology/ecology is preferred as these projects lie at the intersection of computer science and biology, deep knowledge is not necessary.

Majors

Biological Sciences, Biology, Data Science, Environmental Science

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 134

Center name: Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center
Campus/Location: Fully remote
Faculty lead: Chandra Earl

Project description

This project applies inverse matrix population models (MPMs) to study the population dynamics of native Hawaiian land snails, which face severe declines due to habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change. Using R, the study analyzes monthly population data from captive rearing programs to estimate key demographic parameters like survival and fecundity rates. Students will refine and implement stage-structured models using methods such as Wood’s quadratic programming and time-averaged vital rates. This project is ideal for students interested in learning the basics of data modeling and conservation, with a focus on applying quantitative tools to inform management strategies for endangered species.

All projects will have myself as a faculty lead (with others assisting depending on the project) and I'd accept one student per project.

Special skills needed

Students must be computer savvy and either have some familiarity with data science/coding (either in Python or R) or the desire/time to learn the fundamentals as a part of the internship. While an interest in general biology/ecology is preferred as these projects lie at the intersection of computer science and biology, deep knowledge is not necessary.

Majors

Biological Sciences, Biology, Data Science, Environmental Science

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics

Project # 135

Center name: Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center
Campus/Location: Fully remote
Faculty lead: Chandra Earl

Project description

This project focuses on developing an OpenAI-powered assistant to help users navigate NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network) text and protocols. The assistant will function as a chatbot, providing recommendations for datasets and resources based on user queries. While the project is in its early stages, students will research methods for training and customizing OpenAI models to understand NEON-specific content and design workflows to create a functional, user-friendly tool. This project is ideal for students interested in AI applications, data science, and developing tools to make ecological data more accessible.

All projects will have myself as a faculty lead (with others assisting depending on the project) and I'd accept one student per project.

Special skills needed

Students must be computer savvy and either have some familiarity with data science/coding (either in Python or R) or the desire/time to learn the fundamentals as a part of the internship. While an interest in general biology/ecology is preferred as these projects lie at the intersection of computer science and biology, deep knowledge is not necessary.

Majors

Biological Sciences, Biology, Data Science, Environmental Science

Years

ASU Online Barrett Honors Students (fully remote work), 4th Year Students- Seniors, 3rd Year Students, 2nd Year Students

Themes

Cross-listed with the following themes:

Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Data Analytics and Mathematics