Over $380K from 1804 Fund allocated to learning, research at OHIO
Among the proposals receiving funding from Ohio University’s 1804 Fund are a project to renovate two Putnam Hall classroom floors and another to install a green roof on the Schoonover Center for Communication. Photo courtesy of University Communications and Marketing
The trustees of The Ohio University Foundation have awarded more than $384,000 of the 1804 Fund to 10 undergraduate learning, faculty research and graduate studies proposals.
An endowment established in 1979 from the estate of alumnus C. Paul Stocker, the 1804 Fund has provided Ohio University with enriched learning opportunities while supporting OHIO’s mission of “maintaining, strengthening and enhancing a learning-centered community.” Since the first grants were awarded in 1980, the 1804 Fund has supported more than 600 OHIO projects and programs and provided more than $15 million to efforts that have elevated the academic excellence of Ohio University.
For the 2019-20 academic year, $75,972 from the 1804 Fund has been allocated to four Undergraduate Learning proposals. An additional $308,412 has been awarded to six joint proposals benefitting undergraduate and graduate studies, faculty research and the University’s overarching mission.
JOINT UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING/FACULTY RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES PROPOSALS
In the 1804 Fund’s spirit of fostering innovation and collaboration across disciplines, six joint proposals received funding from both the Undergraduate Learning Awards and the Faculty Research and Graduate Studies Awards. Those proposals are:
A Multipurpose Spectrophotometer for Forensic Chemistry Instruction and Faculty Research
Faculty in OHIO’s College of Arts and Sciences were awarded $65,989 to purchase a multipurpose spectrophotometer that will provide students access and training on specialized equipment necessary to secure entry-level positions in the field of forensic chemistry. The spectrophotometer will also provide increased research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students through faculty-mentored research and integration in laboratory courses while creating new possibilities for federal and other external funding of faculty research.
Applicants: Anthony Stender, Jixin Chen, Rebecca Barlag, Katherine Cimatu and Eric Stinaff
Hearing Conservation in Student Musicians
Faculty from OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions and College of Fine Arts were provided $33,528 to help fund a program designed to mitigate student musicians’ increased risk for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) while presenting learning opportunities for students in the School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences. The Hearing Conservation in Student Musicians (HCSM) program has three specific aims: monitoring and conserving hearing of music students and faculty, educating music students about NIHL, and establishing a HCSM lab for conducting research in the areas of music and hearing.
Applicants: Nilesh Washnik, Christopher Hayes, Andrew Trachsel, Richard Suk and Jeff Russell
Putnam Hall Room Renovations
Faculty members in the College of Fine Arts were awarded $95,000 to renovate two Putnam Hall classroom floors that will be used by undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and artists. This project coincides with the School of Theater adding musical theater to its Bachelor of Fine Arts Program and the relocation of OHIO’s Tantrum Theater to Athens, both of which require additional, specialized studio space, which is expected to be used around the clock.
Applicants: Daniel Dennis and Alan Patrick Kenny
Grand Piano Rebuilding for the College of Fine Arts
Committed to offering students the best equipment and instruments possible, this proposal aims to rebuild seven of the 14 grand pianos housed within OHIO’s School of Music, utilizing the expertise of the College of Fine Arts’ piano technician whose skillset is quite rare. The proposal received $55,000 in funding that will be used to advance a rebuilding program for the pianos that will support student education and student and faculty creative works for years to come.
Applicant: Christopher Purdy
The Healthy Village
Faculty from OHIO’s College of Fine Arts, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Health Sciences and Professions received $38,000 to help fund the first year of The Healthy Village. This pedagogical initiative will use creative practices from the College of Fine Arts as instructional methods to train healthcare students in inter-professional communication, patient advocacy and social awareness. The multi-disciplinary collaboration will produce and pilot a proof of concept for the pedagogy, including multimedia modules, undergraduate courses, graduate continuing-education student workshops, and an assessment protocol. The proposal will also build capacity within faculty and student researchers across OHIO through workshops, site visits and performances.
Applicants: Merri Biechler, Sam Dodd, Sally Marinellie and Sharon Casapulla
Brain Based Career Development: Testing the Impact of a Career Coaching Model
Nicholas Allan, assistant professor of clinical psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Regina Warfel, research and assessment analyst at OHIO’s Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC), received $20,895 to test the CLDC’s acclaimed Brain Based Career Development model alongside the current gold standard for career coaching, Best Practice Career Coaching. Working with the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the proposal brings OHIO’s Student Affairs and Academic Affairs together to implement a controlled experiment that will engage graduate students in interdisciplinary research and provide them with free, best practice coaching training transferable to their future careers. This research will also provide career coaching to undergraduate students and result in data that can be used to apply for external grants.
Applicants: Regina Warfel and Nicholas Allan
UNDERGRADUATE LEARNING PROPOSALS
The four proposals receiving Undergraduate Learning Awards funding are:
Supporting Math Success through Learning Communities
Associate Professor Ana L. Rosado Feger was awarded $9,200 for a proposal that seeks to help improve retention rates and the time to degree completion for students in the College of Business by increasing their success in one of the college’s gateway math courses. This proposal will use a validated math placement exam and review system, in combination with leveraging the University’s Learning Communities program, to identify and support students who are at high risk of failing their required math class. If effective, this project could serve as a pilot model for other gateway courses at the University.
Applicant: Ana L. Rosado Feger
Green Roof Educational Connections at Ohio University
Faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, Scripps College of Communication and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs received $43,272 to help fund a green roof project on OHIO’s Schoonover Center for Communication. Offering several avenues for collaboration between students, faculty and researchers while aligning with OHIO’s commitment to sustainability, the green roof will be installed next spring for engaged teaching, learning, undergraduate research and community engagement.
Applicants: Kim Thompson, David Rosenthal, Amy Lynch, Natalie Kruse Daniels and Julio Arauz
Undergraduate Learning Experience using Smart Intravenous Infusion Pumps
Faculty members from OHIO’s College of Health Sciences and Professions were provided $16,900 to purchase smart intravenous (IV) infusion pumps for the nursing skills labs at the School of Nursing on the Athens Campus. Considered industry-standard equipment, these IV pumps will allow nursing students to be trained with current technology and with the equipment they will encounter in their clinical placements.
Applicants: Terri Hood-Brown and Sarah O’Brien
Seeing Migration Differently
Faculty from the School of Media Arts and Studies received $6,600 in support of a proposal designed to strengthen global education at OHIO through a partnership with Ethiopian Tewahdo Social Services (ETSS), the leading immigrant service agency in Columbus, Ohio. The centerpiece of the project includes student-led research for and production of a new documentary on immigrant life in Columbus, providing students opportunities for skill development, experiential learning and greater cultural competency.
Applicants: Steve Howard and Brian Plow
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The impact of Ohio University’s 1804 Fund stretches even further with support from OHIO alumni and friends. For more information on the 1804 Fund and how you can support it, click here.