Featured Awards – May 2013

Paul Bologna & John Gaynor (Biology and Molecular Biology, CSAM) were awarded $100,000 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the second year of “Impacts of Invasive Sea Nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) and Ctenophores on Planktonic Community Structure and Bloom Prediction of Sea Nettles Using Molecular Techniques.” The project aims to create a field-sample predictive model for Chrysaora blooms using real-time PCR, to assess the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton and impacts on planktonic community structure, to assess the distribution and density of settling Chrysaora polyps and development of resting podocysts, and to assess the diet of Chrysaora through dissection and molecular analysis.

Joseph Donnelly (Health & Nutrition Sciences, CEHS) was awarded $94,872 for the third year of “Evaluation of NJ Title V: Abstinence Education.” The evaluation is funded by NJ Department of Health and Senior Services and involves a five-year evaluation plan of all statewide Title V: Abstinence Education programs. This proposed plan was developed to address the increasing national attention paid to and need of adolescent health programs to demonstrate effectiveness using rigorous research standards, sound evaluation methods and scholarly dissemination.  The ultimate aim of the project is to develop a model evaluation program that will address the present and future health of NJ youth.

Mark Favata (Mathematical Sciences, CSAM) received $126,000 from the National Science Foundation for “RUI: Issues in Modeling Gravitational-Wave Sources.” With the installation of Advanced LIGO proceeding and the first direct detections of gravitational waves expected later this decade, this is certainly an exciting time for gravitational-wave astronomy. To extract the best science from future LIGO detections, it is critical to understand and model the gravitational-wave (GW) signal as accurately as possible. The primary objective of this proposal is to push forward that effort.

Katherine Herbert, Emily Hill, and Jerry Fails (Computer Science Department, CSAM) were awarded $619,575 for a five-year period for “Networking & Engaging in Computer Science & Information Technology Program (NECST Program)” by the National Science Foundation. The NECST Program brings together Montclair State University, Saint Peter’s University, and Seton Hall University to form a collaboration to enable students from any discipline who have demonstrated academic ability to pursue a Masters in Computer Science degree study at Montclair State. This project will award scholarships of $10,000 each for 6 to 7 students per year, for five years to attend the University’s Master of Computer Science Program.  As partner institutions, Saint Peter’s University and Seton Hall University will participate with Montclair State in supporting and mentoring students.

Eden Kyse and Rebecca Swann-Jackson (Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services) received a $249,745 contract from the New Jersey Department of Education for “Evaluation of the New Jersey Department of Education’s School Improvement Grant (SIG) Program.” This evaluation study will include a comprehensive analysis of the implementation of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program as well as an analysis of the impacts of the grant on district and school outcomes. In accordance with the NJDOE’s request, the evaluation will produce several progress reports throughout the course of the project, as well as a final report of the Year 1-3 NJ School Improvement Grant Program, which will include findings on districts and schools in Cohort 1 (Camden, Essex Vocational, Jersey City, Newark, and Roselle) and 10 schools and Cohort 2 (Camden, East Orange, Jersey City, Lakewood, Newark, and Paterson) and 9 schools.

Aihua Li (Mathematical Sciences, CSAM) received a $27,300 grant from the Mathematical Association of America for the Research Experience for Undergraduates program for the summer of 2013.  The program will select four undergraduate minority students from Montclair State or other universities and will be held on Montclair State University campus. The two main projects are (1) the study of Randic Connectivity Indices of Graphs and (2) to apply the graph connectivity index method to describe evolution of Chagas disease insect vectors. The program emphasizes the interdisciplinary approach through both theoretical and applied research. It offers the participants opportunities to explore some graph theory problems raised from sciences and to experience original research and real-world applications.

Donna Lorenzo (Department of Health Careers, CSAM) was awarded $236,925 for the second year from the US Department of Education for the project entitled “Upward Bound.” This five-year project has total award of $1,250,000. The Upward Bound Project will provide a six-week commuter summer session followed by an academic component comprised of 25 Saturday sessions. Emphasis will be placed on identifying eligible students who are low income and first generation.  The project proposes to improve students’ academic proficiencies in all subject areas and in the state’s standardized instrument, the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) to enable graduation from high school. The Project’s curriculum will be comprised of mathematics through calculus, laboratory sciences, foreign languages, language arts, SAT Review, and HSPA Review Courses in Language Arts and Mathematics. The services to be provided are academic tutoring, advice and assistance in secondary and post-secondary course selection, assistance in preparing for college, assistance in completing financial aid applications, general assistance in alternative education programs for secondary school dropouts, general assistance in entry into post-secondary education, and education and counseling services to improve financial and economic literacy.

Jedediah Wheeler (Arts & Cultural Programming, CART) received an award of $25,000 from the National Endowment of Arts for “Permission Granted: Works Without Compromise.” The award will support two pieces. The first piece that will open the Peak Performances 13/14 season is a new work by choreographer Liz Gerring, followed by Andrea Miller & Gallim Dance’s new work “Fold Here.” Both pieces will be developed during residencies on the Alexander Kasser Theater stage, and have World Premiere’s here in September 2013.