{"id":14494,"date":"2022-09-19T16:02:34","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T20:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/?p=14494"},"modified":"2024-07-31T11:38:59","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:38:59","slug":"as-fellows-study-distant-galaxies-emotion-in-art-human-rights-and-more-during-summer-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/news\/as-fellows-study-distant-galaxies-emotion-in-art-human-rights-and-more-during-summer-research\/","title":{"rendered":"A&S Fellows study distant galaxies, emotion in art, human rights and more during summer research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Samantha Adams spent her summer imaging galaxies with supermassive black holes at their centers<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

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Funding provided by the A&S Student Fellows Program helped 16 students pursue research and creative projects over the summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

KINGSTON, R.I.<\/strong> \u2013 Sept. 20, 2022 \u2013 Lurking at the centers of certain galaxies throughout the universe are highly luminous objects that spew vast jets of radio waves out into space. These \u201cactive galaxies\u201d are the result of matter churning around a supermassive black hole in a galaxy\u2019s core, and scientists are interested in learning more about these immensely powerful galactic objects.<\/p>\n

Now, thanks to a summer project by a URI undergraduate, astronomers are getting a new look at two of these active galaxies. The radio frequencies emitted by these galaxies aren\u2019t visible to the human eye, but they are visible to radio telescopes. Samantha Adams, a junior majoring in physics and German, spent part of her summer processing data from National Radio Astronomy Observatory to create striking new images of galaxies known as 3C200 and 3C223. Adams hopes that images like these will help spur more public interest in astronomy, as well as aiding in the development of the data techniques used to compile such images.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that really drew me to physics and astronomy initially was the idea of visualizing things that could normally not be seen,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI like the fact I can explore this interest more through research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams\u2019s project was one of 16 that students carried out this past summer<\/a> with support from the Arts and Sciences Student Fellows program. The program provides funding for students to pursue research, scholarly, or creative projects under the supervision of a faculty member for up to 10 weeks during the summer. The idea is to make research opportunities available to students who may otherwise need to work a paying job over the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that taking on projects like these can have a profound impact on a student’s academic career,\u201d said Jeannette Riley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. \u201cStudents learn to think independently and creatively, and they get a chance to really take ownership of their work. Experiences like that can be transformative and set students up for success after they complete their undergraduate studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Projects this year spanned physics, philosophy, computer science, music, theatre and more. The fellows program had traditionally been offered to students who already had an independent research or creative project in mind, but this year the program broadened somewhat to include students who hadn\u2019t yet fully formulated their own project. Those students had the opportunity to join a faculty project already happening.<\/p>\n

Dayanara Monzon, a sophomore double majoring in criminology and criminal justice and gender and women\u2019s studies, worked with Skip Mark, an assistant professor of political science and director of URI\u2019s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, on an ongoing project of Mark\u2019s to measure the extent to which governments around the world respect human rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always had a huge passion for advocating for human rights, especially women\u2019s rights,\u201d Monzon said. \u201cI have had some experience dealing with these issues and helping those [in need], but I\u2019ve never fully understood the impact of not having these rights. When I heard about this project with Professor Mark, I was instantly intrigued and thought it was a good way to have a better understanding of women\u2019s rights all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark said projects like this are important for students because they have the chance to work on something that will be useful to scholars and policy-makers around the world. Along the way, students get valuable experience in extracting meaning from data.   <\/p>\n

\u201cI think projects like this are broadly applicable to the private and public sector where data collection and analysis has become an integral part of every field,\u201d Mark said.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just data-driven projects that give students a leg up before embarking on a career. Milana Cepeda\u2019s project involved composing three pieces of music to accompany an anthology of  video animations. The animations aim to evoke the emotional impact of a particular life experience, and the musical compositions seek to reinforce those emotions. In addition to exploring how emotions are conveyed in art, Cepeda says the project will give her something she can show to potential employers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompleting this work means that I will be able to have hands-on experience writing music for the screen, which is my career path,\u201d she said. \u201cWhether it’s applying for a job to compose for video games or films, I will be able to proudly show future employers this work as part of my portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just future careers that students were thinking about this summer. For Clare Tyler, senior history major, a summer of learning about a subject she loves was simply a summer well spent. Marcus Nevius, an associate professor of history, to transcribe the diary of James Parker, a Scottish loyalist during the Revolutionary War. The diary sheds light on the views of common British loyalists, including views on race and slavery.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite thing to do is learn and gain knowledge on my interests, which is essentially what research is,\u201d Tyler said. \u201cWhy spend time doing nothing when you could be learning, especially learning the first-hand experience of someone who was in the British army during this critical period?\u201d<\/p>\n

That is exactly the type of experience Dean Riley envisioned when she launched the fellows program in 2018. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about seeing our students deepen their understanding and excitement,\u201d she said. \u201cThat helps them to be more engaged in their college experience and ultimately helps them to be more successful students.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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