FUNDED PROPOSALS: (9/1/2011 – 9/30/2011)
CONGRATULATIONS!
The following UTC faculty and staff recently attracted $2,488,455 in external grant and contract awards:
Mr. Bob Boyer, Patten Series Manager for the Fine Arts Center, received $4,000 from the Tennessee Arts Commission to host Evidence, A Dance Company as part of the Patten Arts Series. During their three-day residency in November, the artists will hold a public performance at the UTC Fine Arts Center and teach two master classes—one for UTC students and the other for students at the Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts.
Ms. Twyler Boykin, Project Director of Upward Bound Math and Science, acquired $242,250 from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the Upward Bound Math & Science program (PRISM) during the 2011-12 academic year. The goal of the Upward Bound Math and Science program is to strengthen the math and science skills of local high school students from low-income communities and to encourage these students to pursue postsecondary degrees in these fields.
Dr. Amy Doolittle, Assistant Professor of Social Work, secured $1,480,440 from the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare at Middle Tennessee State University to provide stipends for Bachelors of Social Work students and fund a Resource Parent Training Program. This program will provide mandatory training for foster parents, adoptive parents, and other caregivers of children in the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) system, as well as in-service training for DCS staff.
Ms. Shirl Gholston, Director of Student Support Services, secured $284,746 from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the work of UTC’s Student Support Services (SSS) Program in the 2011-2012 academic year. The SSS Program works to ensure retention and graduation of UTC students who come from underrepresented backgrounds by providing peer mentoring and peer tutoring.
Dr. Gregory Heath, Assistant Provost for Research and Engagement, acquired $20,000 from the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation for an acceptability and usability trial of the Exercise is Medicine health care provider and fitness & health professional toolkits. The Exercise is Medicine program is a systematic and comprehensive approach to physical activity assessment, counseling, and referral of patients to achieve and reinforce the lifestyle integration of physical activity at the health-site, worksite, and community levels.
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill, Director of The Many Faces of Diversity Program, acquired $20,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga to continue the Many Faces program. Begun in 2007, the program assists potential first generation college attendees and at-risk students in gaining access to higher education. Academic assistance is provided to 11th and 12th grade students in Hamilton County.
Dr. Mbakisya Onyango, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, in collaboration with a UTK faculty member, secured $30,022 from the Tennessee Department of Transportation to research and evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of different techniques for repairing potholes. In the future, the results of this study could improve performance levels and extend the service life of pavement in Tennessee.
Mr. Tim Pridemore, Emergency Management Specialist in the Safety and Risk Management Department, secured a software donation valued at $38,950 from Alertus Technologies. The software will allow UTC emergency managers to provide critical information directly to campus computers.
Dr. John Tucker, Professor and Head of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, acquired $5,000 from the Benwood Foundation to support the growing Slow Food on Campus chapter by retaining the expertise of Adjunct Faculty member Tricia King as the Chapter’s faculty advisor. This year Ms. King will guide independent study related to Slow Food on Campus as well as teach a course on sustainable food production, land conservation, and topics related to strengthening the local food economy.
Ms. Cynthia Wallace Long, Director of UTC’s Educational Opportunity Center, received $263,047 from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the work of the Educational Opportunity Center. The EOC assists adult residents in the region as they enroll in GED programs and complete the college admissions process.
Dr. Li Yang, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, with Dr. Joseph Kizza (Professor and Head) and Ms. Kathy Winters (Lecturer in Computer Science and Engineering), secured $100,000 from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative project that will develop college faculty expertise in Information Assurance through case studies and hands-on experiences. This proposal represents collaboration among UTC, North Carolina A&T State University, and UNC-Charlotte. Funding will be used to hold two summer workshops that will provide training and partnership opportunities for Information Assurance instructors.
SUBMITTED PROPOSALS: (9/1/2011 – 9/30/2011)
GOOD LUCK!
The following UTC faculty and staff members submitted proposals with the potential to generate over $1,280,206 in external funding, if awarded:
Drs. Pam Carter and Kim Wingate, Assistant Professors of Education, requested $1,019,185 from the U.S. Department of Education for a three-year research program that will evaluate the effectiveness of UTC’s Degree+3 Program. This program trains and mentors students starting with their involvement in UTC’s teacher education program and following them through the first three years of teaching.
Ms. Anne Gamble, Director of Project Ready for School, requested $100,187 from United Way to continue Project Ready for School in 2012. Ms. Gamble and her staff will partner with local, state, and national agencies to help children in local elementary schools prepare for success in school and life by encouraging parents’ involvement in their child’s early learning experiences.
Ms. Catherine Kendall, Assistant Professor of Interior Design, requested $4,945 from the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners to purchase a magnetic whiteboard, display monitors, a scanner, and other equipment. This equipment will create a more effective and collaborative critique space for all types of design work by interior design students.
Dr. Mbakisya Onyango, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, in collaboration with a Tennessee State University faculty member, requested $72,092 from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The research will center on vehicle crashes involving the transport of hazardous materials on Tennessee highways.
Dr. Aaron Shaheen, UC Foundation Associate Professor of English, requested $27,972 from the National Endowments for the Humanities to develop and offer a course centered on the question, “Who is Satan?” The course will provide an in-depth examination of the various ways that Satan has been depicted and will draw upon literature, theology, history, visual art, and philosophy.
Dr. Tricia Thomas, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, requested $29,825 from the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners to purchase equipment that will upgrade the Chemical Engineering laboratory used for junior and senior level lab courses and senior thesis work. The equipment requested will be used to emphasize the interconnections between the unit operations and the environmental impacts of alternative fuels.
Mr. Kim Wheetley, Director of UTC’s Southeast Center for Education in the Arts, requested $26,000 from the Kids on Stage Foundation of Maury County to fund four mentoring visits by SCEA personnel to Mt. Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts.