REU Site: "Hands-on Minds-on": Multidisciplinary Approaches to Understanding and Preventing Societal Violence

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This project brings researchers from across several disciplines together with students from four-year institutions and community colleges in Virginia to learn about conducting research. The topic of violence is explored with respect to its antecedents and consequences as well as violence prevention. Scholars from three different colleges at Virginia Tech (Engineering, Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Science) participate in this project. Student exposure to the interdisciplinary study of this pressing social problem is supported both through interaction with participating faculty and in conjunction with the Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. In this program, undergraduates work with faculty on one of five research studies: 1) Socialization of Emotions, 2) Bullying Prevention, 3)Responses to Media Violence, 4) Peace Education, or 5) Technology and Conflict Management. Students participate in team and project based training and research activities with a special emphasis on ethics, benefiting from working with faculty at a major research university. Through a series of workshops and guest speakers, students are introduced to the concept of interdisciplinary research and they learn about the processes involved in each project.INTELLECTUAL MERIT: This program exposes students to a complex, multi-faceted, real-world problem that lends itself well to learning about and understanding interdisciplinary thinking. The topic of violence demands engagement with (a) the inherent complexity of nature and society; (b) the desire to explore problems and questions that are not confined to a single discipline; (c) the need to solve societal problems; and (d) the power of new technologies. Exposing undergraduates to multidisciplinary research teams and concepts of interdisciplinary work prepares them for the collaborative research environments they are likely to encounter in graduate programs and research careers, as well as provide fulfilling personal and interpersonal experiences. Together these elements provide motivation to pursue scientific research careers.BROADER IMPACTS: Involving students in the study of an issue that directly impacts them can create a unique level of awareness and interest that may lead to preventing future acts of violence. Combining science, technology, and behavioral sciences to solve societal issues can result in new approaches and engage a new generation of technology savvy students in real-world problems. As more and more talented students turn to community college as an affordable way to start their education, offering opportunities for research to this diverse population keeps them moving towards a four-year degree.The site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.