FUNDED PROPOSALS: (5/1/2012 – 5/31/2012)
CONGRATULATIONS!
The following UTC faculty and staff recently attracted $1,097,499 in external grant and contract awards:
Ms. Belinda Brownlee, Director of Upward Bound, secured $302,271 from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the work of Upward Bound during the 2012-2013 academic year. Upward Bound provides supplemental academic assistance, educational and career guidance, and cultural enrichment activities to help participating students develop the skills necessary to succeed in high school and college.
Dr. Lauren Ingraham, Professor of English, Dr. Jennifer Ellis, Assistant Professor of Education, and Dr. Ethan Carver, Associate Professor of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, secured $197,109 from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for a project that seeks to improve the science proficiency of Tennessee students. This project will focus on using “Writing to Learn” strategies to enhance science teachers’ content knowledge and develop their ability to teach scientific vocabulary, synthesize scientific data in writing, and compose scientific arguments.
Dr. Richard Jackson, Professor of English, attracted $1,200 from Chattanooga State in support of the 2011-12 Meacham Writers Workshops. Occurring each fall and spring, the workshops are free and open to the public and consist of readings, discussion sessions, and group conferences.
Dr. Bryon Kluesner, Adaptive Technology Coordinator in the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), acquired $15,000 from the Tennessee Department of Education to better prepare preservice teachers to support the needs of children who utilize assistive technologies. New assistive technology materials purchased with the grant funds will be incorporated into teacher preparation classes and made available to UTC students served by the OSD.
Dr. Brendon McDermott, Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance, secured $27,209 from Core Cooler Company, LLC to conduct a field study of the core temperature response when humans exercise in the heat using the Core Cooler cold air inhalation device.
Ms. Kristina Montague, Assistant Dean of External Affairs for the College of Business, and Ms. Caroline von Kessler, Director of Development for the College of Business, secured $15,000 from the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust to support the establishment of a Veterans Entrepreneurial Program (VEP) within UTC’s College of Business. The mission of the VEP is to foster the creation of successful, profitable ventures and to advance the growth and commercial competitiveness of local and regional veteran-owned small business enterprises through education and services.
Dr. Barbara Ray, Professor of Education, attracted $458,442 from the Tennessee Department of Education to offer a special education institute and an early childhood special education institute yearly over the next three summers. The Institutes target teachers of exceptional students who are currently teaching on a waiver, permit, or alternate license, as well as instructional assistants who are working toward licensure in special education.
Dr. Joey Shaw, Associate Professor of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences, acquired $16,810 from the URS Corporation to fund additional plant survey work in the Ocoee River Gorge. Following the pattern established in the first phase of this long-term project, Dr. Shaw and his team will map locations of plant ecological systems, rare plant species, and non-native plant species in the gorge.
Dr. Cecelia Wigal, Professor of Industrial Engineering, secured $64,458 from the Tennessee Department of Education to develop or improve existing adaptive and assistive technology to benefit children with disabilities. Freshman, junior, and senior level students enrolled in engineering design courses at UTC will help design these assistive technologies.
SUBMITTED PROPOSALS: (5/1/2012 – 5/31/2012)
GOOD LUCK!
The following UTC faculty and staff members submitted proposals with the potential to generate over $3,765,445 in external funding, if awarded:
Drs. Jennifer Boyd and Joey Shaw (Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences) requested $135,984 from the Tennessee Army National Guard (TNARNG) to conduct a biological survey of invasive plant species at Volunteer Training Sites in Tennessee and Georgia. This survey of invasive exotic species, which are a threat to ecosystems throughout the eastern U.S., is part of an effort to keep up-to-date baseline information on flora, fauna, and abiotic characteristics of TNARNG properties.
Dr. Loren Hayes (Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences) requested $50,280 from the National Science Foundation via the University of Louisiana at Monroe to continue his current study of Chilean rodents. Dr. Hayes and a team of students from UTC and other universities will travel to Chile to investigate the social behavior of the degu, a rodent that lives in communal burrows.
Dr. Kay Lindgren (School of Nursing) requested $1,088,064 from the Health Resources and Services Administration to implement the PACT 4 Interprofessional Geriatric Care program at UTC. This program will prepare family nurse practitioner students to (1) safely and effectively deliver primary, acute, and emergent care and (2) effectively work within interprofessional teams of health and other care providers to maximize geriatric patient safety and quality of care.
Drs. Kay Lindgren and Chris Smith (School of Nursing) requested $679,656 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for an Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship grant that will cover tuition and other expenses for nursing students. This program will substantially benefit rural and underserved areas by increasing the number of family nurse practitioners interested in working with populations in these areas.
Drs. Kay Lindgren, Chris Smith, and Carolyn Schreeder (School of Nursing) requested $1,438,680 from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Approach for Geriatric Education Strategies (IPCP-AGES). The program has been designed to advance interprofessional preparation in the medically underserved region of southeast Tennessee and north Georgia. The program will yield both immediate results and long-term benefits in meeting the health care needs of older adults, a particularly vulnerable population.
Dr. Ed McMahon (Engineering Technology Management) requested $24,500 from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance to develop and implement an open innovation design community aimed at improving the lives of the elderly population and persons with disabilities. UTC will work with end-users to identify their needs; develop design concepts that will improve the life experience of these customers; develop prototypes of products, processes, or systems; develop business plans for bringing the products to market; and develop key partnerships that will help to implement the concepts.
Dr. Barbara Medley (Sociology and Center for Applied Social Research – CASR) requested $10,500 from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga to fund a component of the Chattanooga Youth Gang Violence Prevention Assessment. Partnering with the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in this assessment project, the CASR will conduct a four-part study of gang influence and student vulnerability to gangs in the local school system.
Dr. Shela Van Ness (Sociology) requested $337,781 from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention for a two-year evaluation of the Parent-Child School Engagement Initiative. Dr. Van Ness will use an experimental method to test whether a new model of service will correlate with reduced student absenteeism, reduced suspensions, increased academic GPA, and increased parental response to children’s attendance and grades.