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

该项目将来自多个学科的研究人员与来自弗吉尼亚州四年制大学和社区学院的学生聚集在一起，学习如何进行研究。暴力的主题是探讨其前因后果以及预防暴力。来自弗吉尼亚理工大学三个不同学院（工程学院、文科与人文科学学院和理科学院）的学者参与了这个项目。通过与参与的教师的互动以及与弗吉尼亚理工大学和平研究与暴力预防中心的合作，支持学生接触这一紧迫社会问题的跨学科研究。在这个项目中，本科生与教师合作进行以下五项研究中的一项：1)情感社会化，2)欺凌预防，3)对媒体暴力的反应，4)和平教育，或5)技术与冲突管理。学生参与团队和项目为基础的培训和研究活动，特别强调道德，受益于与主要研究型大学的教师合作。通过一系列的研讨会和演讲嘉宾，学生们了解了跨学科研究的概念，并了解了每个项目所涉及的过程。智力优势：这个项目让学生接触到一个复杂的、多方面的、现实世界的问题，很好地帮助他们学习和理解跨学科思维。暴力问题需要涉及以下问题：(a)自然和社会固有的复杂性；(b)探索不局限于单一学科的问题和问题的愿望；(c)解决社会问题的需要；(d)新技术的力量。让本科生接触多学科研究团队和跨学科工作的概念，为他们在研究生课程和研究生涯中可能遇到的合作研究环境做好准备，并提供充实的个人和人际体验。这些因素共同提供了追求科研事业的动力。更广泛的影响：让学生参与直接影响他们的问题的研究，可以创造一种独特的意识和兴趣，可能导致防止未来的暴力行为。结合科学、技术和行为科学来解决社会问题可以产生新的方法，并吸引新一代精通技术的学生解决现实世界的问题。随着越来越多有才华的学生转向社区大学，将其作为一种负担得起的开始教育的方式，为这些多样化的人群提供研究机会，使他们朝着四年制学位迈进。该站点由国防部与NSF REU项目合作资助。

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.