Faculty Awards
National Science Foundation, Course Curriculum and Laboratory Instrumentation (CCLI). $225,109 subcontract of $492,995. Collaborative project submitted by the University of Oregon. (Priscilla Laws, Physics & Astronomy. "Activity Based Physics Faculty Institutes." The ABP Group is continuing efforts to help physics and physical science teachers at the college level maximize their potential to improve their students. 1) functional understanding of physics concepts, 2) ability to apply mathematics to solve physics problems, 3) ability to describe physical phenomena, 4) appreciation for the basis of scientific inquiry, and 5) use of computer-based laboratory tools for direct investigation. Laws and colleagues propose a project that integrates professional development for post-secondary physics and physical science teachers with comprehensive research on the effectiveness of the in-service educational model.
Getty Foundation Fellowship, $40,000.
IREX Short Term Travel grant, $3,350.
National Council for Eurasian and Eastern European Research, Policy Research Program, $20,000. (Karl Qualls, History) "History in Architecture: Power Politics, Everyday Life, and Mythmaking in Soviet Sevastopol's Postwar Reconstruction, 1943-54." Through the politics and aesthetics of urban reconstruction planning, many Soviet constituencies scripted myths that relegitimized the regime and provided a sense of place and self to an urban population beleaguered by devastating losses from wars and terror. Challenging notions of top-down rule and bolstered by evidence from my recent comparative research, this in-depth case study of Sevastopol shows clearly that local groups reinterpreted existing sites of memory and negotiated with the center in the planning and construction of new memorial spaces. Deep archival work using declassified secret police reports unpublished letters, memoirs, internal government documents, and interviews in Sevastopol will illuminate the understanding of self and others in this multdisciplinary project on contested space and ideas, collective memory and urban experience.
National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research, Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) Program. $100,000. (R. David Crouch and Cindy Samet, Chemistry) This project is designed to incorporate nanoscience and nanotechnology into the existing undergraduate chemistry curriculum. The project involves three parts: development of a new laboratory course in nanoscience for non-science majors, integration of elements of nanoscience into the first three chemistry courses that science majors take, and implementation of a workshop on nanoscience for secondary science teachers in central Pennsylvania. The objectives include the development of new activities and the adaption of previously-reported experiments to provide science and non-science majors with hands-on exposure to nanoscience, to illustrate the role of chemistry in the emerging fields such as nanoscience, and to support science education in our local school districts.
Pennsylvania Dept of Education, Professions Development Programs for Improving Teacher Quality in Mathematics. $200,000. (Barry Tesman, Mathematics & Computer Science) “Problem Solving and Critical Thinking with Discrete Mathematics” Students in Pennsylvania's high-need districts are not as successful in mathematics as students in the general population. Research shows that the key factor in improving student achievement is professional development for teachers. This project addresses the need for high quality professional development in mathematics. Dickinson College in conjunction with its school partners will strengthen teachers' skills in both content and instructional strategies, and help develop mathematics leadership capacity in the individual schools and districts. The proposed project involves intensive high-quality standards-based professional development institutes for two cohorts of 30 K-8 teachers from the high-need school partners, including 5 teachers of the deaf, over the three-year period of the grant. The summer institutes will be based on the successful NSF-funded Leadership Program in Discrete Mathematics (LP-DM) which has sponsored 35 such institutes in 9 states for over 900 K-8 teachers over the past 8 years.
PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources – Wild Resource Conservation Fund. $1,000. (Carol Loeffler, Biology) "Field Surveys for Euphorbia purpurea, Solidago speciosa, and Eurybia radula in PA." Euphorbia purpurea (glade spurge), Eurybia radula (rough-leaved aster), Solidago speciosa var. speciosa (showy goldenrod), and S. speciosa var. erecta (slender goldenrod) are all listed or recommended for listing as Plants of Special concerns in PA. This project will update population data in the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) for all four taxa, to aid in decisions regarding the species' categorization and management. This project will also update identifications of the Solidago speciosa varieties, which can be problematic. Four PA populations of the globally rare Euphorbia purpurea are partially or entirely fenced for protection against deer. Counts of mature plants, seedlings, and fruits and measurements of plant sizes will help in the assessment of the impact of these exclosures should also expand limited understanding of the population ecology of rare plants and will be incorporated in publications in ecological journals.
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. $50,000. (Ashfaq Bengali, Chemistry) "Investigating the Strength and Reactivity of the metal-N2-Arene Bond: A Laser Flash Photolysis Study Employing Infrared Detection.” Data from the project should yield insights into the role of the metal in stabilizing interactions. Such information may assist in the development of new dihapto coordinated arene complexes, which may show potentially important reactivity in carrying out organic transformations.
PA Department of Environmental Protection. $40,000. (Lauren Imgrund, ALLARM) This grant will allow ALLARM to continue with current projects providing watershed-specific technical assistance and will also fund the continuation of the Assistant Director position through June 2005. ALLARM will provide assistance to watershed groups in areas of expertise such as: consultation on determining water resource issues; advice on time and resources to complete tasks; scientific aspects of assessments or monitoring; database design and data management; customized training sessions; generation of watershed maps via GIS; and organizing and outreach strategies for education to local communities.
PA Department of Environmental Protection. $9,193. (Lauren Imgrund, ALLARM) This project, part of a joint effort with the Adams County Conservation District, will involve an assessment of the Rock Creek Watershed in Adams County. ALLARM will conduct training workshops for volunteers and help to produce a “state of the watershed” report. Impairments to Rock Creek, a 34 square mile watershed already assessed by the PA DEP and listed on the 303(d) list of impaired waters, include nutrients, siltation, flow variability and thermal modification, due largely to residential runoff, storm sewers and agriculture.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. $7,850. (Lauren Imgrund, ALLARM) "Integrating Watershed Groups into Dam Removal Efforts in Pennsylvania." This is a joint project with the PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), American Rivers, and the Alliance of the Chesapeake Bay. Over the next year, in conjunction with our partners, ALLARM will expand its pre-and post-dam removal citizen monitoring program to train citizen volunteers in evaluating post-removal sites for follow up restoration activities on three streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region of south-central Pennsylvania. The project will develop and refine a new set of volunteer monitoring activities focused on post-removal stream bank and instream restoration measures; train watershed groups in assessment methodologies; and publish a guidebook on how to replicate pre-and post-dam removal monitoring and erosion assessment in other areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
National Science Foundation Collaborative Research (award transfer). $53,406. (Tom Arnold, Biology) "Coordinate Induction of Sink Strength and Polyphenol Metabolism in Trees." This grant seeks to determine the importance of carbohydrate (CHO) translocation for the development of induced chemical defenses in woody plants. It is a collaborative effort with J. Schultz at Penn State University and is in its second year of three.
National Science Foundation Collaborative Research (award transfer). $66,600. (Tom Arnold, Biology) "Mechanisms of induced pathogen resistance in seagrasses." This grant seeks to 1) determine the presence/absence of pathogen-induced responses in eelgrass and turtlegrass, 2) characterizes the importance of wound-induced responses in determining the resistance of seagrasses to Labyrinthula spp. the agent of the seagrass wasting disease, and 3) evaluate the potential effects of changing environmental conditions on the production of phenolics and on the susceptibility of plants to the disease. It is a collaborative effort with C. Tanner at St. Mary's College of Maryland and A. Boettcher at the University of South Alabama. It is in its second year of three.
National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program. $325,059. (John Henson, Kirsten Guss, Tony Pires; Biology; Teresa Barber, Psychology). "Acquisition of a laser confocal scanning microscope." The ongoing renaissance in the use of light microscopy for cell biology, neurobiology and developmental biology has been fueled by the generation of a diverse array of specific fluorescent probes coupled with the high-resolution and quantitation capabilities of laser scanning confocal microscopy systems. Confocal microscopes have become the instrument of choice due to their ability to "optically section" cells and tissues, and therefore allow for the 3D spatial resolution needed to define structural relationships, along with the temporal resolution needed to follow dynamic processes. Use of this instrument will be incorporated into undergraduate teaching in the areas of cell biology, developmental biology, neurobiology, molecular genetics and biopsychology.
Institutional Awards
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. $200,000. This award is part of a $600,000 grant awarded to the Central PA Consortium colleges: Dickinson, Gettysburg, and Franklin & Marshall. The grant will support a two-tier program of professional development for faculty who have recently earned tenure at the three institutions. The first tier is a set of CPC programs focusing on preparing newly tenured faculty for leadership. The second tier is a set of individual campus programs. Dickinson's portion of the grant will be used for faculty reassigned time. In addition, CPC wide grants will also be available for those newly-tenured faculty who have applied for national grants (such as NSF, NEH, etc.) but who did not receive one, or only received partial funding.
U.S. Department of State Fulbright American Studies Institute. $220,000. (Russ Bova, International Studies, Business & Management; Brian Whalen, Laurie Mossler Global Education; David Commins, Michelle Hassinger, Clarke Center). "Striking the Balance: Government and Market in the U.S. Economy." The broad objective of the Fulbright American Studies Institute at Dickinson College is to provide foreign university faculty and scholar-practitioners the means and understanding to move beyond stereotypes, particularly prevalent overseas, of a U.S. model based entirely on laissez-faire economics. The project will instead focus on the complexity of the U.S. experience and the debates generated in the quest to find the proper balance of government and market in the economy. The Institute slated for June 25-August 8 - will enroll a total of 18 foreign university faculty and scholar-practitioners whose professional work requires an in-depth understanding of U.S. society, culture and institutions past and present. Through academic coursework, visits to appropriate sites of interest, guest speakers, participatory projects, and interactions with U.S. peers and American citizens, participants will examine the U.S. market economy. These activities are assisted financially by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended.
U.S. Department of State Partnerships for Learning Undergraduate Studies (PLUS) Program $92,000. (Brian Whalen, OGE; Bob Massa, Enrollment Management) In partnership with Amideast, Dickinson will provide a spring '04 and summer 04' ESL language program for 5+ academically talented undergraduate students from the Middle East and North Africa who exhibit leadership potential in contributing to the economic, political and social development of the region. America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) is a private, nonprofit organization that strengthens mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa. Every year, AMIDEAST provides appropriate English language skills training, educational advising and testing services to hundreds of thousands of students and professionals in the Middle East and North Africa; supports numerous institutional development projects in the region; and administers academic exchange programs.
G. B. Stuart Charitable Foundation. $50,000. To support the Old West Historic Restoration Project. The funds will be used to preserve or restore one or more of the building's original exterior features.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission/Keystone Historic Preservation Grant. $80,000. "Old West Historic Preservation Project". This grant will be used to cover a portion of the necessary upgrades to lighting, electrical and mechanical systems that were recommended in the Historic Preservation Plan for Old West completed by John Milner Architects, Inc. in November 2002. These systems upgrades are part of a larger proposed project to preserve and restore the distinctive architectural character of this National Historic Landmark building to honor the extraordinary legacy architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the start of its construction.
Jumpstreet/PA Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Program. $1,126. (Becky Hammell, Davis Tracy) "Bluegrass on the Grass 2004." Dickinson was awarded a grant to support the eighth annual "Bluegrass on the Grass" concert, which provides an opportunity for community members to enjoy an afternoon of high quality bluegrass music at no cost and to develop an appreciation for this distinctive regional musical form. Three to four top bluegrass music performers will gather for an afternoon of traditional music in Dickinson's academic quad on July 10, 2004. The tentative list of performers will focus on both traditional bluegrass stylists, as well as some of the talented young performers who are bringing their interpretation to the genre. (See News Releases for 2002 and 2003 concerts.)
Pennsylvania State Police/Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement $15,720. (Department of Public Safety, Paul Darlington) "Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program." This grant will establish a campus/community coalition to include representatives from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), college administration, students, local tavern and beer distributor owners, community associations, Carlisle Borough officials, the Carlisle Police Department (CPD), and the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. The coalition will meet quarterly to discuss issues related to underage and excessive alcohol use by students. The grant will also establish a cooperative CPD/DPS bicycle patrol team, fund educational programming and public safety related activities during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, provide small alcohol-free party grants, and fund a "promising practices" study of successful methods employed at other institutions to address underage alcohol use and the abuse of alcohol by those of age.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), Archives and Records Management. $8,700. (Jim Gerencser, Archives) The Archives and Special Collections Department of the Waidner-Spahr Library will use this grant for a project to process the papers of the nonprofit organization Three Mile Island Alert (TMIA), a central Pennsylvania group committed to safe energy in the community. The grant will provide funds for the library to hire a full-time Project Assistant for a period of five months to organize and process the TMIA collection. The goals of the project are to ensure the safe and proper archival housing of the collection, to create a comprehensive guide to the papers for use by researchers, and to make the collection guide available via the world wide web to encourage the exploration of these valuable resources. With the 25th anniversary of the accident at Three Mile Island approaching, attention on TMIA and the issues that the organization represents are expected to receive greater attention. This project is viewed as being instrumental in providing for the proper preservation and access to these materials not only for this anticipated period of heavy usage, but also for the long term.
U.S. Department of Education, International Research and Studies Program. $91,320. (Brian Whalen, Office of Global Education) To support the research project entitled "Dickinson Involvement in the Assessment of Student Learning Abroad: Addressing a Critical National Need." This grant will support the second two years of Dickinson's participation in a major research project to establish a national model to assess the ways that global education adds value to students and to better understand the various types of study abroad programs and design features which most effectively favor the development of foreign language, intercultural skills and meaningful knowledge of other cultures. The project will be conducted in conjunction with Georgetwon University, Rice University and the University of Minnesota. Dickinson is the only private liberal arts college participating in this study.
U.S. Department of State "Young Ambassadors Study of the United States Institute" Program $447,000. (Andy Rudalevige , Cotten Seiler, Amy Farrell, American Studies; David Commins, Clarke Center; Brian Whalen, Laurie Mossler, Global Education). "State and Society in the United States." Dickinson will conduct an intensive summer institute for 26 college age (junior or senior equivalent level) male and female student leaders from the Middle East and North Africa this summer (July 19 - August 23). Through a combination of academic coursework, visits to appropriate sites of interest, guest speakers, and participatory projects, students will examine the values, institutions, and conflicts that have distinguished American life. The Institute intends to foster an affirmative, yet appropriately complex vision of state and society in the United States, and to portray, truthfully and with balance, the historical trajectory of a society founded upon, yet often unable to put into practice, democratic and egalitarian values. With these objectives in mind, we have prepared a program that stresses themes of diversity, democracy conflict, and cooperation, and which offers in equal measure the critical study of and personal interaction with a broad array of American people, places, institutions, and ideas. The theme of "State and Society in the United States" will be divided into four major subthemes (fields of study) to be covered: "Values and Beliefs," "Economic Life," "Cultural Patterns and Media," and "Political Processes and Policymaking." Complementing the scholarly elements of the program will be the students' experience of cultural immersion in the everyday life of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region--from New York City to Washington DC.