Faculty and Staff Grants From February 2023

Congratulations to the following faculty and staff members who received grants and awards in February 2023:

Michelle Knight-Manuel, dean of the Morgridge College of Education

• Grant from Colorado Department of Higher Education
• Abstract: The purpose of this grant is to implement the Student Educator Stipend Program and the Student Educator Test Stipend Program. The amount includes: $30,830 to be used by the program or institution for program administration, $1.32 million for educator stipends and $71,586 for test stipends.

Nicholas Perry and Galena Rhoades, faculty at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Grant from the National Institutes of Health
• Abstract: Sexual and gender minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or other non-heterosexual or non-cis gender) adults are a population that experiences significant mental and physical health disparities. This project addresses sexual and gender minority health through a focus on the romantic relationship context of health, specifically at the point of marriage.

Brady Worrell, faculty at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Grant from the National Science Foundation
• Abstract: Our lab’s long-term interests are related to developing new modes of catalysis that allow for precise control over material properties in crosslinked thermosets. Specifically, we are interested in improving the mechanical properties of photopolymeric materials, where existing methods do not meet current needs.

Robin Tinghitella and Dale Broder, faculty at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

• Grant from the National Science Foundation
• Abstract: Understanding the origins of novelty is fundamental to explaining the diversity of life on Earth, but it is particularly challenging to imagine how novelty could evolve in animal communication because it requires coordination between a sender and a receiver. In this proposal, we capitalize on the recent and unprecedented discovery of two novel sexual signals to uncover the role of plasticity (flexibility of an organism's phenotype in response to the environment) in the origins of novelty. Our research aim is to measure plasticity in receivers and senders in two derived novel morphs.

Jonathan Moyer, Barry Hughes, Taylor Hanna and Pam Hoberman, faculty and staff at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

• Grant from the United Nations Development Programme
• Abstract: Following the recent United Nations Development Programme Yemen trilogy reports on the “Impact of War on Yemen,” the Country Office—with the support of UNDP’s Regional Hub for Arab States—will commission a new report focusing on climate change in Yemen. The report will assess the current trends and future risks from climate change on development and crisis recovery pathways on the road to 2030.

Tom Romero, faculty at Sturm College of Law

• Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
• Abstract: University of Denver students will engage in work through two menus of courses in history, religious studies, Spanish, anthropology, sociology, music, and media studies, each of which will enable students to engage in a class project in which they investigate the involvement of young people in one of the events mentioned above. The project supports the development of several new courses as well as the development of new assignments within existing courses.

Kaipeng Wang, faculty at Graduate School of Social Work

• Grant from the National Institutes of Health
• Abstract: Advance directive (AD) completion is associated with improved quality of end-of-life (EOL) care, reduced use of aggressive and costly medical treatments, lower likelihood of in-hospital deaths and lessened decisional burden of healthcare surrogates. Although a few studies have examined demographic and cultural factors of AD completion among older Chinese Americans, death attitude has been overlooked. To address this knowledge gap, with a focus on older Chinese Americans, this project will identify factors that are associated their death attitude; examine the association between death attitude and attitude toward AD and AD completion, and evaluate how and in what ways any significant factors their AD completion and attitude toward AD.

Jonathan Moyer, Pam Hoberman, Taylor Hanna and Barry Hughes, faculty at staff at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

• Grant from Q2 Impact (subaward U.S. Agency for International Development)
• Abstract: Egypt is less than a decade away from the deadline for its Vision 2030 goals. This is an opportune moment for both the Mission and country to take stock of current development trajectories and better understand future possibilities. Understanding how developmental policy and assistance can change outcomes requires a macro, integrated and long-term perspective. This document proposes an initial collaboration between the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures (Pardee Center) to support the USAID Egypt Learning Activity in this endeavor.

Anne DePrince, faculty at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Grant from the Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center
• Abstract: We will design and implement an evaluation tied to the Legal Information Network of Colorado (LINC) project goals. The evaluation will build on past evaluation work for LINC, but expand that approach to take into account new project goals as well as the rollout of statewide LINC activities.

Aisha Ahmad-Post, executive director of the Newman Center for the Performing Arts

• Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
• Abstract: The Newman Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) celebrates its 20th season in 2022-2023. NCPA requested a grant to support thirteen performances, five artist residencies and four K-12 engagement activities in spring 2023.

Elysia Clemens, faculty at the Colorado Action and Evaluation Lab

• Grant from the Colorado Department of Health Care Financing & Policy
• Abstract: CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place Advancing Better Living for Elders) is a program to improve quality of life, improve functional ability, reduce hospitalizations and reduce nursing home admissions in older adults. CAPABLE is an in-home, team-based approach delivered over 20 weeks by an occupational therapist, a registered nurse and a home improvement specialist. This project will describe program output and outcomes through the lens of informing the decision to make CAPABLE a long-term Medicaid benefit.

Meredith Silverstein, staff at the Butler Institute for Families

• Grant from the North Colorado Health Alliance
• Abstract: The Butler Institute for Families at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work will conduct a comprehensive and rigorous outcome and process evaluation of Larimer County’s medication-assisted treatment program. Working in close collaboration with the North Colorado Health Alliance (NCHA) and Larimer County Jail, we will build upon Butler’s previous evaluation of medication-assisted treatment and care coordination in the Larimer County Jail and adapt the project’s existing evaluation plan to address questions of concern to NCHA.

Nancy Sasaki and Kerstin Haring, faculty at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science

• Grant from Colorado State University (subaward National Science Foundation)
• Abstract: This is the ONLY undergraduate research initiative at DU that specifically addresses the need to increase research opportunities for historically underrepresented undergraduate scholars in the STEM fields, thereby moving the needle of STEM professionals in the future.

Nicholas Perry, faculty at the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

• Grant from the University of Miami (subaward Mental Research Institute)
• Abstract: Perry will aid in the analysis and interpretation of data collected during the project and preparation of manuscripts. During the project, Perry will work closely with Co-PI Harkness to oversee the direction of and scientific work of this proposal.

Shauna Rienks, faculty at the Butler Institute for Families

• Grant from WellRoot
• Abstract: Restricted.

Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, faculty at the Iliff School of Theology

• Grant from the Association of Theological Schools
• Abstract: Unavailable.