FUNDED PROPOSALS: (2/1/2012 – 2/29/2012)
CONGRATULATIONS!
The following UTC faculty and staff recently attracted $180,625 in external grant and contract awards:
Ms. Lisa Darger, Sustainability Coordinator for the Facilities Planning and Management Department, secured $300 from RecycleMania to promote UTC’s inaugural participation in the 8-week 2012 RecyleMania Tournament. Funds will go toward the printing of posters, banners, and signage as well as the purchase of promotional gifts.
Ms. Catherine Kendall, Associate Professor of Interior Design, attracted $2,113 from the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners to purchase equipment for the Interior Design Department. The equipment will strengthen critique space in two studio classrooms and will support instructional delivery methods in all classes.
Dr. Brendon McDermott, Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance, secured $3,370 from Drip Drop Inc. for a project comparing beverages with various sodium concentrations during cycling in warm conditions. The purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of a proposed sports drink to another commonly used beverage in terms of thermoregulation, hydration, perception, and performance.
Ms. Laurie Melnik, Director of Theatre Education at the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts, secured $850 from The Arts Council, Inc. to provide three one-hour sessions during the Art of Creative Teaching Workshop in Huntsville, Alabama in February.
Dr. Valerie Rutledge, Director of the School of Education, was awarded $138,807 from Tennessee State University to continue the work of the Strengthening Tennessee Elementary Schools – Focus on Mathematics (SITES-M) project at UTC. The SITES-M consortium was formed to address the issue of low performance of minority students in mathematics. Project activities for in-service teachers include weekend math workshops and a two-week summer math institute.
Dr. Tricia Thomas, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, acquired $28,120 from the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners to purchase equipment to upgrade the Chemical Engineering laboratory used for junior and senior level lab courses and senior thesis work. Chemical Engineering is one of the fastest growing areas in the College, and the new equipment will aid in the preparation of a growing body of students for the modern work force.
Dr. Bart Weathington, Associate Professor of Psychology, secured $7,065 from Cleveland State Community College to engage nine UTC graduate students in the design of a prototype assessment center at Cleveland State. UTC’s work is funded from an NSF grant which Cleveland State received to enhance and strengthen its Electro / Mechanical education program.
SUBMITTED PROPOSALS: (2/1/2012 – 2/29/2012)
GOOD LUCK!
The following UTC faculty and staff members submitted proposals with the potential to generate over $1,005,366 in external funding, if awarded:
Mr. Joel Baxley (Southeast Center for Education in the Arts) requested $1,650 from the Hamilton County Department of Education for a graphic design residency with fifth grade students as well as a bookmaking residency with third grade students at Battle Academy.
Ms. Susanne Burgess (Southeast Center for Education in the Arts) requested $600 from the Hamilton County Department of Education for a music residency at Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning this spring. Ms. Burgess will meet with all kindergarten teachers in March and then teach lessons to kindergarten students in April.
Ms. Tricia Henderson (Counseling & Career Planning) requested $30,000 from the National Collegiate Athletic Association for an alcohol prevention program titled MOCS CHOICES: Making Our Choices Successful. The program is a collaboration between the Athletic Department and the alcohol prevention efforts offered through the UTC counseling department. MOCS CHOICES members will use funds to provide students and athletes with accurate information about drug and alcohol use and expand alcohol-free events on campus.
Dr. Barbara Medley (Sociology and Center for Applied Social Research) requested $22,500 from the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies as part of a collaborative effort to respond to the City of Chattanooga’s need for a comprehensive gang assessment. The study will focus on the climate of local schools, disciplinary characteristics of students involved in and/or at risk of involvement in gangs, and perceptions of school staff members.
Dr. Gretchen Potts (Chemistry) requested $22,901 from the National Institutes of Health via the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Dr. Potts will perform chemical analyses to assist UTHSC in developing a transdermal method of delivering trace element nutritional supplements to hospitalized children. UTHSC is developing the transdermal method as an alternative to the intravenous method, which has been faced with unprecedented product shortages in recent years.
Dr. Irv Resnick (Philosophy & Religion) requested $194,466 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to hold a five week summer institute in 2013. Participants will learn about changes in the legal status, economic conditions, cultural stereotypes and depictions of Jews as “the Other” – the most visible and problematic minority group in medieval Christendom.
Dr. Mina Sartipi, with Drs. Yu Cao and Li Yang (Computer Science and Engineering), Dr. Nancy Fell (Physical Therapy), and Dr. Gregory Heath (Assistant Provost for Research and Engagement) requested $521,050 from the National Science Foundation to develop a remote, automated wearable sensor-based smart system that effectively and securely tracks and evaluates activities of post-stroke patients. The immediate goal of the proposal is to design SmartStroke, a smart system that monitors extremity control, fall risk, gait speed, and walking activity levels.
Dr. Mark Schorr (Biology, Geology and Environmental Science) requested $42,079 from the City of Chattanooga to assess ecological conditions in Citico Creek and Friar Branch following stream restoration work. The assessments will include collecting data on water quality, habitat, macroinvertebrates, and fishes at three sites in Friar Branch and at two reference sites, and analyzing existing pre- and post-restoration data from Friar Branch and Citico Creek.
Dr. Bart Weathington (Psychology) and doctoral student, Ms. Brandy Leffler, requested $844 from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research and Education Foundation for a research project on the perceptions of sport retirement by current students athletes. The research is a part of Ms. Leffler’s dissertation in which she will determine if current student-athletes of Division I and Division II institutions feel they have been adequately prepared for this retirement.
Dr. Li Yang (Computer Science and Engineering) requested $169,275 from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative research project that will improve the reliability of smart grid infrastructure using resilient wireless sensor networks. This research is especially significant because of the recent rise in power outages across the United States; monitoring power grids is an issue of national interest and security. Dr. Yang will be working with colleagues from Tennessee Technological University, the University of Mississippi, Arkansas State University, and the University of Memphis.