Three University of Iowa faculty members and CSSI researcher affiliates used this summer at CSSI to make significant progress on projects related to diabetes management, suicide loss survivors, and perceptions of low-quality AI-generated images.
They participated in CSSI's Summer Researcher-in-Residence program, which provides dedicated time, space and resources to advance high-impact social science research. They each received up to $1,500 for research-related expenses. Faculty members selected to participate this summer were:
Bingbing Zhang, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences;
Chelsea Howland, assistant professor in the College of Nursing; and
Haelim Jeong, assistant professor of social work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Summer program provides feedback, support, and accountability
Through meetings with Ethan Rogers, CSSI associate director, and Cassidy Branch, CSSI manager of research services, Zhang received support in developing a survey that will launch this month through Verasight to 500 people across the United States. The survey will measure how often people encounter "AI slop," a term used to describe low-quality, inaccurate and mass-produced AI-generated content shared on social media. It also will examine the perceptions of exposure to this content and their potential consequences.
"The Summer Researcher-in-Residence program provides outstanding support from CSSI, especially in reviewing the research instrument and providing thoughtful feedback," Zhang says. “I strongly recommend this program for those who want to refine projects during the summer.”
For Jeong, navigating Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements with support from CSSI's research services was especially valuable for her highly sensitive project. She is interviewing suicide loss survivors to better understand the conflicting emotions they experience toward loved ones who died by suicide. Jeong says her conversations with CSSI staff also helped her identify future grant opportunities in the field of suicide loss survivorship.
"As a junior faculty member, participating in the Summer Researcher-in-Residence program was an incredibly valuable experience," she says. "The biweekly check-ins and the continuous support and resources from the CSSI team provided the accountability and guidance I needed to make the most of my time and advance my research agenda."
7 Benefits for Summer Researcher-in-Residence participants
Biweekly progress check-ins;
Workshops on CSSI research services, grant development, and best practices for research dissemination;
A partner panel featuring campus leaders discussing collaboration, navigating campus resources, and sustaining a research program;
A final presentation of participants' projects with audience feedback;
Up to $1,500 for research expenses, or up to 50 hours of support from a graduate research assistant;
Personal office space at CSSI; and
In-house social events, including Social Science Sips.
During the summer residency, Howland made significant progress piloting a mobile app that delivers an intervention combining emotional and physical strategies for older adults with Type 2 diabetes living in rural communities. She received approval for IRB modifications, began recruiting participants, and started enrolling them in the study.
Howland said the program offered accountability, peer support, and opportunities to engage with experienced researchers on focused skill-development topics. Together, Howland, Zhang, and Jeong identified project management as a skill they wanted to develop.
"Throughout the 10-week program, project management was incorporated into discussions, which helped me integrate new skills and approaches into my work," Howland says. "This program was incredibly helpful in keeping me motivated over the summer and making progress on my research."
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