Faculty and Staff Grants from February 2019

Congratulations to the following faculty and staff members who received grants and awards in February 2019:

Charmaine Brittain, director of organizational development at the Butler Institute for Families at the Graduate School of Social Work

• Grant from Coordinated Care Services, Inc. for "ACCESS Training"
• Project abstract: The Butler Institute for Families will develop and provide training to Onondaga County Children and Family Services ACCESS. This training will guide the learner through the skills and strategies needed for effective engagement with children and families involved in preventive services.

Donald Gerke, assistant professor at the Graduate School of Social Work

• Grant from Washington University St. Louis, subaward from SAMHSA for "SPNS Subcontract"
• Project abstract: Dr. Donald Gerke's primary function will be to provide data analysis and evaluation consultation to the SPNS research team. The study will focus on the use of social media to improve health outcomes along the HIV care continuum.

Kendra Whitlock Ingram, executive director of the Newman Center for the Performing Arts

• Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for "Newman Center Presents"
• Project abstract: Newman Center Presents is a multidisciplinary, multicultural performance series featuring world-renowned touring artists. Participating artists for the 2018-19 series will include Jad Abumrad, Silk Road Ensemble, Jessica Lang Dance, Delfeayo Marsalis, Dorrance Dance, Bang on a Can All-Stars and Vijay Iyer. Accompanying project activities will include community workshops, master classes and audience talkbacks with performers.

Jonathan Moyer, assistant professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures

• Grant from the African Development Bank for "SDG3 Analysis for African Using International Futures"
• Project abstract: The Pardee Center will use the International Futures (IFs) system to monitor past trends and the potential for progress toward the achievement of targets within Sustainable Development Goal 3 (health and wellbeing). IFs will help the African Development Bank evaluate national health systems in Africa, using SDG3 targets as criteria for overall performance. The IFs system can then be used to devise strategies that identify strategic priorities in health (and human development more broadly) and their potential impact on African health and wellbeing.

Christine Nelson, assistant professor at the Morgridge College of Education

• Grant from the University of New Mexico, subaward from W.K. Kellogg Foundation for "New Mexico Learning and Education Consortium (NMLEC)"
• Project abstract: This multi-site project will bring together researchers and evaluators across various disciplines and expertise to provide evidence of what and how New Mexico programming supports the community to achieve substantial positive change. It will focus on the areas of early childhood education, child health and wellbeing, and family economic security; utilizing racial equity, community engagement, and leadership capacity building approaches.

Amy Roberts, senior research associate at the Butler Institute for Families

• Grant from the University of Nebraska for "EduCare"
• Project abstract: The Butler Institute for Families will support the University of Nebraska Buffett Early Childhood Institute in studying how wage increases are associated with workforce and workplace wellbeing. The project will include data analysis for EduCare staff survey questions and code development, as well as leading coding focus group transcripts and training two research assistant coders.

Maria Vukovich, researcher and adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology

• Grant from the University of Minnesota for "University of Minnesota Partnership"
• Project abstract: The humanitarian crisis faced by unprecedented numbers of displaced people around the world elicits many questions about the long-term effects of traumatic stress on families who are forced to flee war and conflict. To date, most of the research describing the health experiences of displaced individuals and communities has focused on individually-centered intervention that disrupts intergenerational trauma by targeting family functioning and youth adjustment.

Sarah Watamura, co-director of the Stress Early Experience & Development Research Center, and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

• Grant from the Colorado Department of Human Services for "Roots Workshops and Coaching"
• Project abstract: Watamura and her team will provide training in the Roots curriculum (an intensive, experiential trauma processing and stress reduction) to ECMH specialists across Colorado. These specialists will then be eligible for certification as Seedlings coaches, which is a trauma and stress reduction program for parents. This model will equip ECMH specialists and consultants with skills to partner successfully with child care providers and community members on trauma, adversity and resilience.

• Grant from the Colorado Department of Human Services for "Implementing the Seedlings Curriculum to Build Parental Resilience"
• Project abstract: This project will implement the Seedlings curriculum in 2-4 pilot counties and evaluate that implementation. Seedlings is a curriculum developed by Watamura and owned by Growing Home, Inc. that targets reducing the intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences. The purpose is to test the feasibility of implementations in counties beyond the Denver metro area, including needed modifications.