While the fall semester is just getting underway, the university’s Diamond Research Scholars are already months into independent projects.

Eva Close, Class of 2027, vividly remembers watching news coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with her parents at their South Philadelphia home in April 2010. The disaster, which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the water, killing more than a million birds and countless other animals.  

Close was just 5 years old. But images of birds struggling in the dark, sticky crude left a lasting impression and sparked her lifelong passion for protecting wildlife. 

“I remember so clearly those birds that get covered in the oil, and then you gotta clean them up,” Close said. “I thought, I would love to do something to help those animals.” 

Now, as a senior studying biology with an art minor, Close is working on a major research project to help restore coral reefs in the same part of the Gulf of Mexico that had been part of that 2010 environmental disaster. 

Her project, Form and Function: How Model Shape Affects Cold-Water Coral Restoration, involves utilizing both her concentrations by creating ceramic models of deep-sea corals.  

“If the structure looks like a coral, is it going to be more effective than a structure that doesn’t look like a coral?” Close said, describing her research question. 

She started building her ceramic coral reef over the summer with the support of Temple’s Diamond Research Scholars Program. The cohort includes 16 students from various majors, ranging from physics to music technology to film and more. Each student leads their own independent research project.  

“Close’s project is a great example of a student thinking about how to engage in research by bringing their own expertise,” said Emily Moerer, associate vice provost for undergraduate enrichment, who oversees the program.  
 
Through the program, the 16 students work with faculty mentors and gain experience that can prepare them for graduate school, fellowships and careers beyond Temple, Moerer said.  

“Unlike traditional research internships where students support experts, here, students develop and propose their own research ideas,” Moerer said.Close’s mentor is Erik Cordes, the biology department chair. 

“Faculty mentorship is an important professional development aspect of the Diamond Research Scholars Program and faculty mentors are instrumental in developing these exceptional students into scholars in their own right,” Moerer added. “They provide critical advice, oversight and subject-specific guidance to their mentees, many of whom are undertaking independent research projects for the first time.” 

Holly Stanley, Class of 2027, a music technology major, is studying how vocal musicians adjust their voice levels based on background noise levels during everyday conversations. 

“It’s important to do the research if you have the skills that can help pioneer methodology and help us all better understand the world,” she said.  

“Holly’s project is a really good example of how Diamond Scholars often combine different backgrounds and disciplines to produce new knowledge,” said Anisha Bhat, assistant director for undergraduate enrichment who advises students in the program. 

Stanley credits her faculty mentor, Jing Shen, assistant professor of communication sciences, with being a tremendous source of support and guidance throughout her journey. 

Physics and math major Ben Maitre, Class of 2028, is building a low-cost device that could one day detect lung cancer.  

“Blood is magnetic, so you can make it release a magnetic field. If you can do that, you can track the blood flowing toward tumors,” he said.  

Maitre has been working with John Noel, professor of instruction in physics, as well as researchers in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine as he develops his understanding of both physics and math that underlines his project.  

That kind of cross-disciplinary work is one of the Diamond Research Scholars Program’s defining features, Moerer said. 

“We can help students and faculty bridge the divide,” she said. 

Outside of the lab, the program is also connecting research to the arts.  

Sarai-ann Forde, Class of 2028, is examining how certain acting techniques could influence visual storytelling in 3D animation. Her project explores how movement, action and expression can also be incorporated into animation to create more compelling characters and stories. 

“It’s about looking at the way the story is told visually through the character’s gestures, expressions and actions, rather than the animated world they are in or the overarching story of the entire animated work,” she said.  

She also appreciated the support of her faculty mentor, Zachary Vickers, a media arts assistant professor, who she began to learn from since the launch of her project. 

Diamond Research Scholars began their projects the day after Commencement, and Forde was especially excited to dive into her work throughout the summer. 

“It’s a great opportunity to try something I was so intrigued by. It became a dream summer project,” she said.   

Launched in 2005, the program provides each scholar with a $4,000 stipend from May through August and then academic credit during the fall semester. 

The scholars all meet together several times during the program.  

Bhat said one of the most rewarding aspects is watching students develop from the beginning of the program to the end. 

“By the time students present their work at the end of the fall semester, they are expected to be able to clearly and effectively explain their research, even to people who have no background in their field,” Bhat said.  

Learning how to communicate their work to people outside their field is another learning lesson through the program, Stanley said.  

“If you are a math major, for instance, you have to be able to explain in a way to them that they are able to understand it,” she said. 

Josh Gladden, Temple’s vice president for research, said investing in undergraduate research is one of the best ways the university can prepare the next generation of scholars.     

“The Diamond Research Scholars is a win-win program. It connects talented students with hands-on experience that helps them build their skills while also enhancing the university’s research enterprise at the same time,” he said. “We’re so proud of their contributions to their respective fields.”   

While Diamond Research Scholars also present their work at Temple’s spring research symposium, the goal is to ensure their projects continue, even when the program ends. 

“We want our scholars to think strategically about what their next steps are and what they can do once their project is over,” Moerer said. “We want to develop our students into true scholars.” 

Close grows excited when thinking about her project’s next steps. Over the summer, her ceramic reef was placed into the gulf off the coast of Louisiana, roughly 100 miles southeast of New Orleans.  

“I’m more than hopeful. I’m really confident this could work and that fabricated coral structures can help reshape or restore coral habitats,” she said. 

She expects to continue her coral reef project for at least the next year. 

Applications for the next cohort open Dec. 1 and close Feb. 16. Students are encouraged to begin working on their applications over winter break. 

“I would absolutely recommend this program to others,” Close said. “It gives you research experience, but it’s also your project. You headed it, you made the calls and it allowed me to combine my skills that could make a big real-world impact.”