MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The Office of Research and Outreach at Penn State Harrisburg has announced five research seed grant proposals to be funded through the college’s Exploration and Analysis Grants for Expanded Research (EAGER) and the Specialized Presentations to Enhance Awareness and Knowledge (SPEAK) programs.
The goal of the EAGER program is to provide support for full-time Penn State Harrisburg faculty members to pursue external research funding opportunities. A successful EAGER project is one that results in submission of a competitive research proposal to a federal science agency or other external research sponsor.
The SPEAK program provides funding to bring nationally and internationally recognized visitors to the college for presentations and discussions with faculty, staff, students, and the wider community. The goal is to enhance research and scholarship at Penn State Harrisburg through direct exposure to leading experts addressing topics of interest across multiple disciplines. A successful SPEAK project is one that inspires new research questions, approaches, or collaborations that lead to submission of a competitive research proposal to a federal science agency or other external research sponsor.
Faculty EAGER proposals awarded include:
- Sara Imanpour, assistant professor of health administration, School of Public Affairs – Imanpour’s research studies disparities on health care outcomes by language.
- David Witwer, professor of American studies, School of Humanities – Witwer’s project explores the disappearance of union leader Jimmy Hoffa and why it still reverberates today.
- Darrell Bartholomew, assistant professor of marketing, School of Business Administration – Bartholomew’s project will discuss The ProSales Center Lab for Neuro-Marketing and Consumer Research Analytics at Penn State Harrisburg.
- Ola Rashwan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology – With her project, Rashwan will look at the synthesis and characterization of new antimicrobial PEEK/AgNP nanocomposite for 3D printing filament for biomedical applications.
Faculty SPEAK proposals awarded includes:
- Richard Ciocci, associate professor of mechanical engineering, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology – Ciocci’s proposal would bring marine biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer Sylvia Earle to campus to discuss her research “Microplastics and the Built Environment: Impacts and Interactions.”