Indigenous Labor and Coercion on the Edges of the Hispanic World

David Rex Galindo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, History

Project Summary: Dr. Galindo's research explores the complexities of exploitative labor systems and levels of unfreedom in the Hispanic world, from the Roman era to the 19th century. Although scholarly literature often broadly labels these systems as “slavery,” his project questions whether this term fully captures the diversity of human exploitation and unfree labor across different imperial contexts. He will work with his mentor, Prof. Dr. Francis Goicovich, of the Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins in Santiago, Chile. 

Integrating AI to Enrich Research and Mentorship in Counseling Psychology

NaYeon Yang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychology

Project Summary: Dr. NaYeon Yang will expand her research capacity by completing three workshops on AI-assisted methods for systematic literature reviews, qualitative analysis, and exploratory analysis of complex datasets. Guided mentorship will further strengthen the application of these tools to current projects and facilitate research collaboration, innovation, and training in her lab.

Memory, Fiction, and Protest: Archival Research and Mentorship Toward Book Publication

Adam Manfredi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Project Summary: This project will support a weeklong research and mentorship trip to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to finalize a book manuscript on literature of the 1960s Japanese student movement. Archival research combined with mentorship from a senior scholar will deepen the manuscript’s historical context, theoretical framing, and scholarly impact.

Mentored Design of a Preschool Healthy-Weight Promotion Study Using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST)

Yixun Xing, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Data Analytics and Statistics

Project Summary: Guided by mentors in intervention optimization and kinesiology, Dr. Xing will use the MOST framework to design trials that refine nutrition- and activity-based strategies to promote healthy growth and weight in preschoolers. The mentor-led consulting sessions and conference engagement will deepen her analytic skills and establish a lasting cross-disciplinary mentoring network.

Faculty Advocacy Network Mentoring and Training

Coby Condrey, Kimi King, Sophie Morton, Julie Leuzinger, ​and Sharon Rae Jenkins

Project Summary: This proposal seeks support for a structured mentoring initiative, jointly organized by the Faculty Senate and the Office of Faculty Success, to train, support, and recognize the work of faculty advocates.

Interdisciplinary STEM Learning Research and Practice Collaborative

Amy Petros, Carrie Allen, Molly Atkinson, Rose Baker, Alena Moon, and Rebekah Purvis​

Project Summary: This proposal seeks support for a structured mentoring initiative, jointly organized by the Faculty Senate and the Office of Faculty Success, to train, support, and recognize the work of faculty advocates.

Mentoring for the Future: Building Faculty Expertise and Student Readiness Through Salesforce Integration

Sanjukta Pookulangara, Kiseol Yang, and Malini Ratman

Project Summary: This project provides MDR faculty with Salesforce training to improve teaching, update curriculum, and support students pursuing industry-recognized certifications. The goal is to improve teaching, encourage collaboration, and align curriculum with industry needs—supporting student success, faculty development, and continued innovation within the department.

Mentoring Residency for Preparation of a World Premiere Performance of THAT HELLBOUND TRAIN on UNT Campus

Stephanie Russell and Sharon Bjorndal Lavery

Project Summary: In April 2025 UNT Opera will produce the World Premiere of Lisa DeSpain and David Simpatico's THAT HELLBOUND TRAIN. This grant seeks support for a three-week mentorship residency for composer and librettist to guide faculty through the World Premiere process, providing insight into the compositional and dramatic structure of this work and new work in general, ensuring a successful performance

Reimagining Public Scholarship: Strengthening Faculty Competence as Community- Engaged Educators and Translational Thinkers

Andrew Colombo-Dougovito and Yolanda Mitchell

Project Summary: This project builds institutional capacity for public scholarship by equipping faculty with skills to translate academic scholarship into publicly accessible formats. Through structured training, community-building, and expert guidance, participants will produce translational outputs, fostering a sustainable culture of community-engaged, public-facing scholarship aligned with institutional values.