Aparajita Budithi

Applied Mathematics

Originally from India, Aparajita Budithi is a fourth year PhD student in Applied Mathematics, having received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her current research under Dr. Xinfeng Liu focuses on mathematical modeling of cancer, developing models that emulate how cancer cells proliferate and interact with the body’s immune cells. Her experience with teaching and educational pedagogy here at USC has inspired her to pursue mathematics education after her PhD, specifically teaching practices that promote conceptual learning while dispelling math-related fear & stigma among college students. She is most excited to work on Math 172 as it lies at a “sweet spot”, intersecting both her research as well as educational interests.   

Project:  Enhancing MATH 172 with Standardized Online Resources and Researched Pedagogical Techniques

MATH 172, Mathematical Modeling for the Life Sciences, is a calculus-dependent course that introduces students to mathematical models that can be used to study biological phenomena, with a focus on application and analysis. This project will standardize the current resources of MATH 172 into an easily accessible online format to aid future instructors, including developing a Webwork-based homework system and an interactive online textbook using PreTeXt software. Short formative assessments of topical issues will be developed to make the course more relevant, along with embedded collaborative groupwork activities; all of these will be assessed using student feedback surveyed over the upcoming Fall semester. An instructor’s manual will be created to provide other departments with guidance in using Webwork Homework and developing an online textbook for their own courses.

Madison Burlett

Aerospace Engineering

Madison Burlett is currently pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at USC. Originally from Chelsea, Michigan, she earned her bachelor’s in aerospace engineering at USC as well. Her research focuses on plasma propulsion and improving aerodynamic efficiency through optimized plasma actuator placement under the guidance of Dr. Mostafa Mobli. Madison is currently an intern at SCDOT this summer, but her true passion lies in teaching. Having taught undergraduate Aerospace Engineering labs for the past two years, it is her favorite class to teach as it gives students hands-on experience that they would not get in a standard lecture. Madison hopes to become a professor one day to continue mentoring students.   

Project:  Enhancing Student Engagement and Programming Skills in a Fluid Dynamics Lab

This resource enhances the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering undergraduate curriculum by redesigning the Venturi Lab, a fluid dynamics experiment within the AESP/EMCH 361 Aerospace / Mechanical Laboratory 1 to include programmable data acquisition. Currently, the lab offers limited opportunities for students to develop technical, programming, and problem-solving skills. By integrating a programmable computer, students will learn to code sensor interfaces and operate the lab system themselves. The resource deliverables will include a revised lab manual, a student programming guide, and an instructional guide with annotated code and troubleshooting tips. These materials are designed to be reusable, adaptable, and accessible to students with no prior coding experience. While this module is being designed for engineering applications, the hardware and software can easily be manipulated for any experimental data acquisition across other fields.    

Edwina Chen and Insu Hwang

Political Science

Edwina Chen is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science. Originally from Taiwan, she earned her bachelor’s in political science from National Cheng Kung University (TW) and a master’s in politics from the University of Essex (UK). Her research interests include LGBTQ+ politics, queer theory, authoritarianism, democratization, and East Asian politics. Her current work examines global patterns in same-sex marriage legalization and how voters perceive LGBTQ+ political candidates. Outside of her academic work, Chen loves traveling and learning from the cultures and stories she encounters along the way. Professional website: edwinachen.com

Insu Hwang is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at USC. He studies varied topics in International Relations and Comparative Politics. He earned his B.A. in International Studies and an M.A. in International Studies at Pukyung National University in Busan, Republic of Korea. His research interest includes the re-balancing of Global Power, particularly focusing on the concept of ‘Middle Power’ amidst the rise of Indo-Pacific region, as well as Asian security and the role of International Institutions.

Project: R and Data Literacy Module for Political Science Undergraduates

This project will develop a self-paced, web-based instructional module for POLI 101: Introduction to Global Politics. The resource aims to strengthen data literacy by introducing students to political datasets and the basics of R programming, while also teaching usage of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT for learning support. By integrating real-world datasets, the module will help students interpret data structures, understand descriptive statistics, and create simple visualizations. Deliverables will include a structured module (3–4 units), an instructor manual with guidance on course integration, assessments, and a curated resource hub. Although designed for POLI 101, the module will be adaptable for asynchronous or hybrid use in other political science or social science courses.

Brian Harrold

Statistics

Brian Harrold is entering his fourth year at USC, pursuing a PhD in Statistics. His research focuses on statistical and machine learning applications in item response theory, with applications in educational and psychological measurement. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master of Teaching at the University of Virginia and spent nearly a decade teaching high school mathematics before beginning his doctoral studies. Upon graduating, he hopes to become a professor at a research university. His favorite part of teaching is developing a sense of community within the classroom, where he tries to make mathematics and statistics accessible to every student.

Project: Development of Supplemental Instruction Videos for a Carolina Core Statistics Course

The project focuses on STAT 201: Elementary Statistics, a high-enrollment Carolina Core service course designed to provide statistical reasoning tools and interpretations to students across numerous disciplines. The resource will be a series of concise ADA-compliant instructional support videos aligned directly with STAT 201 lecture and lab content, designed to address key concepts, common student misconceptions, and incorporate real-world, multi-disciplinary applications.  The resulting video series will be made available to every student enrolled in STAT 201 via Blackboard and YouTube. This project addresses the lack of current, aligned, and accessible supplemental instruction resources and lays the groundwork for adaptation into other statistics courses in a sustainable and reusable way. 

Farnaz Hesam Shariati

Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior

Farnaz Hesam Shariati is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, studying the effect of the built environment on community health. She holds a master’s and bachelor’s in architectural engineering and has published and presented widely on how neighborhood and community design influence diverse health behaviors and outcomes. Farnaz’s current academic interests focus on how urban design, art, and placemaking influence mental and physical health, community development, and well-being, in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Kaczynski and the Built Environment and Community Health (BEACH) Lab.

Project: Development of a Two-Part Module Synthesizing Art, Community Environments, and Health Promotion

The resource will be a novel two-part module designed for HPEB 511 – Health Promotion in a Changing Society – entitled “Art, Community Environments, and Health Promotion”. The goal of this module is to inform and enhance students’ knowledge regarding the role of public art in promoting community health, fostering social cohesion, and supporting health behavior change. The learning component will incorporate how art interventions in public spaces (e.g., murals, installations) contribute to health promotion goals and convey public health messages. The practice component will engage students in real-world case studies to design creative public art proposals to enhance community well-being. The complete instructional module will include readings, lecture slides, case studies, and assessments, along with an instructor guide with suggested implementation strategies to effectively integrate this content into their course. The flexible structure of the contents will allow for adaptation and use across delivery modalities and disciplines that incorporate community projects.

Omid Oshriyeh

Hospitality Management

Omid Oshriyeh is a fourth-year doctoral student in Hospitality Management. Originally from Tehran, Iran, he earned his bachelor’s in business administration and master's in Tourism Management and Marketing. His research takes a data-driven approach, utilizing machine learning and modeling to analyze critical issues in hospitality and tourism, with his work published in top-tier journals including the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management and Annals of Tourism Research. His teaching experience includes serving as the primary instructor for courses in marketing, hospitality, and sustainable tourism, in which he emphasizes Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and technology integration to create accessible and engaging learning environments for all students. After graduation, Omid hopes to continue his research and teaching. 

Project: Enhancing Real-World Decision-Making in Sustainable Tourism: An Interactive Policy and Planning Toolkit 

This project aims to enhance the HTMT 482 - Sustainable Tourism Planning and Policy course by developing a toolkit and interactive digital module centered on real-world scenarios. The module will guide students through complex decision-making processes in sustainable tourism, challenging them to analyze multifaceted situations, consider diverse stakeholder impacts, and formulate policy responses. The primary goal is to move beyond theoretical learning by using practical, scenario-based problem-solving to foster in students the critical thinking and applied skills necessary for industry. The Interactive Policy and Planning Toolkit for Sustainable Tourism will feature 3-4 digital scenario-based modules, an Instructor's Guide, Student Workbook/Guide, and adaptation guide that offers a framework for instructors in other fields to adapt the scenario method. 

Keah Tandon

Educational Psychology and Research

Keah Tandon is a third-year doctoral student in Educational Psychology and Research studying computational statistics. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from North Greenville University, as well as a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice and a master’s in higher education and student affairs from USC. Keah’s current research, in collaboration with Dr. Michael A. Seaman, focuses on R package development and data simulation to support statistics instruction. Her long-term goal is to combine her research interests and commitment to student success through research, teaching, and applied work in postsecondary contexts.

Project:  Multiple-Choice Item Assessment: Simulating Data for Teacher Education

The resource will be an educational module for EDRM 423 – Introduction to Classroom Assessment. Its primary goal is to help students understand how to evaluate multiple-choice items and make data-informed decisions through hands-on practice with simulated data. The module will introduce the psychometric concepts of item difficulty and item discrimination, featuring a custom R function that simulates student responses based on user-defined parameters. In addition to the simulation tool, the module will include a classroom activity using pre-simulated data. The activity offers students structured practice and serves as a model for instructors who may wish to create similar exercises for their students with different data sets. Instructors could use the tool to provide additional practice opportunities or to assess student learning of multiple-choice item analysis. While designed for preservice teacher education, this module can be used more broadly to support the learning of multiple-choice item assessment across various educational and training contexts.

Benny Thoms-Warzecha

Geological Sciences

Benny Thoms-Warzecha is a master’s student in Geological Sciences studying accessibility in introductory labs. He received his bachelor’s in Earth Sciences and Earth and Space Science Education at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Benny’s work is focused on student perceptions of accessibility and how they change across a typical introductory geology course, working with Dr. Katherine Ryker to gather and analyze student feedback to ensure all students can engage with course content and activities. After his time at USC, he hopes to teach introductory geology courses at a community college, travel the world, and organize STEM outreach events.   

Project: Developing Virtual Field Trips to Improve Inclusivity and Accessibility in an Introductory Geology Lab Course

The goals of the resource are to improve accessibility and inclusivity, primarily in the geosciences, by designing adaptable instructional materials that foster equitable learning and positive affective outcomes. The resource will be an instructor’s guide to modify and adapt lab activities and field trips into accessible digital formats, including example lessons and activities for use in an introductory geology lab (GEOL 101: Introduction to the Earth). Two focal fieldwork-heavy activities, a campus rock tour and a streamflow lab, will be reworked to preserve inquiry and student engagement while being transitioned to a digital format. The resource also aims to help close equity gaps and foster inclusive, student-centered learning environments in other activity-heavy courses in STEM fields, whether in-person or online, by providing instructors with guidelines and modification strategies.  

Yunhang Yin

Quantitative Psychology

Yunhang Yin is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Quantitative Psychology program studying Causality and Structural Equation Modeling. He received his bachelor’s from Hubei Normal University, where he first became interested in psychology. His current research centers on evaluating model fit indices, under the mentorship of Drs. Dexin Shi and Amanda Fairchild. After graduation, he aims to pursue a research-focused or teaching-oriented academic position. As a teaching assistant and instructor for psychological statistics courses here at USC, he is passionate about helping students build strong statistical thinking skills through structured, scaffolded learning that fosters long-term understanding and confidence.

Project: Small Steps, Big Insights: Cultivating Statistical Thinking and Literacy in 21 Days

This project implements the “21-day rule” of habit formation within a fast-paced, asynchronous summer PSYC 220 Introduction to Psychological Statistics course. The course emphasizes developing students’ statistical thinking habits, and this project supports that goal by incorporating daily microtasks to gradually build students’ confidence, computational fluency, and conceptual understanding. As low-stakes formative assessments, tasks are graded on completion and effort rather than correctness, reducing anxiety and promoting consistent engagement. Deliverables include a complete 21-day module aligned with course content, ready-to-use task materials, and Blackboard templates with engagement tools, all of which can be used in future statistics courses within the Department of Psychology.  The task library and system can be easily adopted by other instructors, supporting long-term implementation across courses.