Brockport's Best: The College at Brockport
Brockport's Best
Adam Rich, biology department, received his second three–year grant totaling $217,200 over the next three years from the National Institutes of Health AREA program to continue his work on establishing the zebrafish as a model system to study the role of ICC in GI motility to contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms that support ICC development in human health and disease. The study will provide support for three undergraduate students and one graduate student each year.
Mark Noll and Jana Penders, earth sciences, and James Haynes, environmental science & biology received a two year grant from the National Science Foundation totaling $145,449 for “Urban Hydrology: A Means of Engaging Urban High School Students in the Geosciences.” The Co–PI’s working with eight high school teachers from the City of Rochester, NY will develop, implement and evaluate a content-rich, hands-on, inquiry–based science education program to enhance science and teaching learning with underserved high school students resulting in more students: a) pursing STEM careers and b) trained to use scientific literacy to address geoscience/urban hydrology and other issues in their lives.
Austin Busch, English, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities pilot course grants program for $21,525 to develop a course and pilot test it over two years on “Confronting Mortality.”
Markus Hoffmann, chemistry, received a three year award of $236,329 from the National Science Foundation Research in Undergraduate Institutions Program to conduct research to investigate ion pairing and aggregation behavior of ionic liquids dissolved in low polarity solvents. Ionic liquids have the potential to replace traditional organic solvents that are volatile and hazardous. The research involves collaborators in Germany and undergraduate college students and local high school students as researchers.
Rebecca Smith, mathematics, received a $30,000 grant over two years from the National Security Agency to conduct research on “Sorting Permutations.”
Pamela Haibach, physical education and sport, with co-investigators Jason Dauenhauer, social work and Suzanne Oliver, dance received a grant of $6,005 from the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Research Consortium for a research project on “Balance and Psychosocial Effects of Ballroom Dance in Adults.”
Betsy Balzano, Education and Human Development has received 20 years of competitive grant support for the Teacher Opportunity Corps program from the NYS Department of Education. The Program Coordinator is Nancy DiPasquale, Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Education and Human Development. For 2008–09 a total of $32,595 was awarded. The mission of the program is to continue to expand and implement the recruitment, retention and placement of historically underrepresented individuals in teacher education and the teaching field to fill the minority teaching void in both the City of Rochester, NY and the surrounding area. To date, our program has certified 134 teachers from underrepresented groups, most of whom are teaching in Rochester. The program’s success is due to mentoring, strong working relationships with content area faculty at Brockport; professional development for teachers; special program seminars and field trips to prepare our students to work with at–risk students; and the strong relationships built over the years with teachers and administrators at two City of Rochester schools.
Sanford Miller, mathematics, with Stanley Radford, physics; Joan Lucas and Mihail Barbosu, mathematics and Kadathur Lakshmanan, computer science, received $1,200,000 in two awards from the National Science Foundation over the next four years to provide a total of 212 one–year scholarships to distribute between fall 2008 and spring 2013. These include one hundred $5,400 scholarships to freshman and sophomores, and 112 scholarships of $5,000 each to juniors, seniors and graduate students in mathematics, physics and computer science. The purpose of the program is to increase the number of students, especially from underrepresented groups in these three disciplines.
Barbara Thompson, Director of the CSTEP/McNair grant programs received $416,313 in two competitive grants. The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program funded annually by the NYS Department of Education is designed to increase the number of low-income, first-generation and historically underrepresented students who successfully graduate with bachelors degrees in health–related fields, law, accounting and math/science teaching. In 2008-09 the college received $117,575 for this program to provide services to seventy undergraduates. This program has been competitively funded on our campus since 1987. In 2008-09 we received $298,739 from U.S. Department of Education for the Ronald McNair Postbaccalaureate Program designed to increase the number of low–income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented students who pursue graduate education. This program has been competitively funded for over eighteen years on our campus. Forty students per year enter the program which provides individualized educational plans, support to complete research projects with a faculty mentor, support to present research findings, attendance at professional development seminars and internships. Over the years the McNair Program has assisted over 500 students to graduate and pursue graduate education.
Joseph Winnick, adapted physical education and sport is in his fourth year of a $789,648 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Professional Preparation of Adapted Physical Education students. The program is designed to prepare qualified adapted physical educators for direct teaching and consulting roles. School districts increasingly include children with physical disabilities in classrooms with students who are not physically disabled. Teachers must be prepared to address all students’ needs. The program will increase the number of prepared teachers by graduating approximately 15 teachers per year and providing direct financial support for a minimum of 8 full–time students per year.
Lauren Lieberman, adapted physical education and sport, received $68,727 in grants to support the 13th year of Camp Abilities: a developmental sports camp for youth who are blind or visually impaired. The Camp provides a one-week residential sports camp at The College at Brockport for over 50 youth between the ages of 8–19 years each year from across the U.S. The Camp has over 80 volunteer college and high school student counselors from across the nation who donate their time for the week. A variety of local and national foundations including Bausch & Lomb, Rite–Aid Corporation and a competitively funded grant from the NYS Office of Children and Families provide support annually. Over $30,000 is raised in annual fundraising events across the State to provide the remaining funding for the week long camp.
Jason Dauenhauer, social work, and Debra Fromm–Faria, faculty in the Greater Rochester Collaborative Masters Social Work Program with Nazareth College were awarded approximately $200,000 over five years (through 2010) for the Center for Excellence in Gerontological Social Work at The College at Brockport. For 2008–09 we received $41,045 through an award to the college from the University of Rochester’s Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center funded by the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions. The mission of the program is to improve health care delivered to older adults through enhanced geriatric education of health and allied health professionals.
Josh Fegley, Coordinator of Health Promotions and Prevention Services, received $235,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to implement a two year comprehensive program designed to reduce high–risk drinking behavior among students living on campus. Existing alcohol education and early–intervention programs already in place at the college have yielded substantial reductions in the prevalence of binge drinking and alcohol related conduct violations and infractions on campus.