FY2016 Research Council Grant Recipients
Awarded in the Spring of 2016 for the period May 1, 2016– June 30, 2017
Award Statistics:
Total number of awards:
Total amount of awards:
Weighted Average award amount:
34
$100,000
$2,941
Faculty Research Grants
(Total # of awards – 6; Total amount of awards – $12,916; Weighted average award - $2,211)
Bonnye Stuart (Mass Communication): “Market sensing and branding of German Products to Chinese Tourists”
- $1,071
Dr. Sabrina Williams (Mass Communication): “Breakthrough Thinking” - $3,000
Dr. Allison Gibson (Social Work): “Needs Assessment of Catawba Nation Seniors: A University-Reservation
Partnership pilot Study” - $3,000
Phil Moody (Fine Arts): “Obras da Brancas / White Works” - $2,500
Tom Stanley (Fine Arts): “Drawing Across the Sea” - $1,345
Dr. Clifton Harris (Chemistry, Physics and Geology): “#1 TiO2/CdS/Fe203 Stacked Thin Films as Photocatalysts
for Water Splitting; #2 Fabrication of Mixed Tungsten (IV) Selenide and Tungsten (VI) Oxide Thin Films” $2,000
Faculty Research with Student as Co-Investigator
(Total # of awards – 18; Total amount of awards – $61,415; Weighted average award - $3,463)
Dr. Trent Kull (Mathematics) and Christina Knight (Student Researcher): “Developing and Assessing
Mathematics Enrichment Activities Using Sphereland” - $2,155
Dr. Matthew Heard (Biology) and Nicole Berson (Student Researchers): “Understand the Past and Future of
land Conservation in South Carolina” - $2,500
Dr. Scott Werts (Chemistry, Physics and Geology) and Emily Watson (Student Researcher): “Geochemical
Transformations of Clay During Fire Events: Applications to Archeology” - $3,450
Dr. William Rogers (Biology) and Caroline Driscoll (Student Researcher): “A Preliminary Evaluation of the
Behavioral Effects of Feeding Enrichment on a Captive Herd of African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana)” $3,794
Dr. William Rogers (Biology) and Grace Olson (Student Researcher): “A Comparison of Social Sounds Produced
by Amazon River Dolphins in Brazil and Peru” - $4,700
Dr. Seth Jenny (PE Sport and Human Performance) and Kristy Noble (Student Researcher): “Utilizing Sedentary
and Active Video Games in Pursuit of Increasing Cognitive Sport Knowledge and Motor Skill Acquisition” $2,000
Dr. Kunsiri Grubbs (Biology) and Tianee Harris (Student Researcher): “Impact of Natural Disturbance on the
Growth and Survival of the Endangered Schweinitz’s Sunflower (Helianthus Schweinitzii)” - $4,000
Dr. Aaron Hartel (Chemistry, Physics and Geology) and Dakota Mullinax (Student Researcher): “Reaction of
Protected Alkyl Cyanohydrins with Epoxides as an alternative for the Enantio- and Diastereoselective
Preparation of Aldols” - $3,000
Dr. Heather Evans-Anderson (Biology) and Annette Nicole McMullen (Student Researcher): “Initiating CRISPR
Analyses in Ciona Intestinalis” - $5,000
Dr. Janice Chism (Biology) and Candance Stenzel (Student Researcher): “Do the Vocalizations of Equatorial Saki
Monkeys (Pithecia Aeqautorialis) Contain Referential Meaning?” - $4,850
Dr. Meir Barak (Biology) and Dr. Victoria Frost (Biology) and Ariel Kunde (Student Researcher): “The Effect of
Staphylococcus Aureus on the Stiffness of Cortical Bone” - $3,796
Dr. Julian Smith (Biology) and H. Joseph Horacek (Student Researcher): “Cryptic Speciation among meiofaunal
flatworms on the U.S. East Coast” - $3,954
Dr. Maria Gelabert (Chemistry, Physics and Geology) and A. Anderson-Rolfes (Student Researcher) and J.
Stevens (Student Researcher): “ZnO Nanoparticles: Supersaturation Calculations, Synthesis and Fluorescence”
- $5,000
Dr. Laura Glasscock (Biology) and (Student Researchers – to be determined): “The Effect of Croton Lechleri on
Apoptosis in Prostate Tumor Cells” - $4,697
Dr. Julian Smith (Biology) and Audrey Hughes (Student Researcher): “Are Mitoses in Aeolosoma Synchronized
to the Circadian Light / Dark Cycle?” - $2,894
Dr. Julian Smith (Biology) and Brooke Davis (Student Researcher): “Evolution and Biomechanics of the
Copulatory Organ in Schizorhynchia (Platyhelminthes)” - $2,604
Dr. Maria Aysa-Lastra (Sociology and Anthropology) and William Blake White (Student Researcher): “A
Comparative Perspective on Childhood Religious Socialization and Immigrant Integration in the US South” $2,021
Dr. Sangwon Sohn (Design) and Abigail Parisot (Student Researcher) and Suphakarn Khammua (Student
Researchers): “University Design: Improving Academic Student Achievement through Design” - $1,000
Curriculum Enhancement and Instructional Improvement
(Total # of awards – 10; Total amount of awards – $25,669; Weighted average award - $2,473)
Dr. Elke Schneider (Counseling, Leadership and Ed Stu): “Multisensory Literacy Intervention” - $887
Bonnye Stuart (Mass Communication): “International Internships at Dublin Business School” - $1,464
Dr. Debra Leach (Counseling, Leadership and Ed Stu): “Research-to-Practice for Special Education Teacher
Candidates” - $2,000
Dr. Helyne Frederick (Counseling, Leadership and Ed Stu): “Preparing for Service Learning in a Family Life
Education Course” - $3,090
Dr. Jessica Hamm (Mathematics): “Developing a 100-Level Joy of Mathematics Course to meet the General
Education Quantitative Skills Requirement” - $2,400
Dr. David Schary (PE Sport and Human Performance): “Exercise and Health Promotion: Creating an Engaging
and Student-Centered Online Course” - $2,075
Kelly Ozust (Theatre and Dance): “Current Trends in Dance and Technology: The Experience of Dance Film” $2,153
Dr. Nicholas Grossoehme (Chemistry, Physics and Geology) and Marguerite Doman (Computer Science):
“Continuing Improvements to WUtopia!” - $3,600
Dr. Karen Stock (Fine Arts) and Emily Morgan (Theatre and Dance): “New Interdisciplinary CVPA Course
Development: Modern Art and Dance” - $3,000
Daniel Gordon (Theatre and Dance): “Gabrielle Lansner Artist Residency - $5,000