sponsored research grants
DR. Michele mccolgan, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
Professor of Physics Michele McColgan, PhD received her first three (3) year grant for $299,715 from the National Science Foundation as the Lead Investigator. George Hassel, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physics and Megan Kelly, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology are Co-Investigators on the grant. This project aims to develop a series of augmented reality instructional modules that allow students to visualize many of the 3D concepts covered in the first year of introductory physics. The project brings together a team of undergraduate STEM research students at Siena with Siena Physics and Psychology faculty, a modeling instructional consultant, a Unity developer, and PER evaluator and advisor.
Dr. John Moustakas, Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Moustakas received a two-year, $145,000 grant from the Department of Energy to continue his work on the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey, which aims to understand the nature of dark energy, a mysterious phenomenon which is causing the expansion rate of the universe to accelerate. In addition to support for PI Moustakas, this award also provides salary, housing, and travel support for Siena students to carry out top-notch research as part of the most important physics experiments of the next decade.
The Center for Academic Community Engagement (ACE)
ACE received $100,000 from AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) for continued support of Siena's AmeriCorps VISTA program. The federal service program is one of ACE's foundational opportunities and is run by VISTA program director Mairead Carr with support from Allison Schultz, Director ACE; Ruth Kassel Associate Director ACE; and ACE Assistant Directors Sarah Toledano and Cheryl Voter. Siena's AmeriCorps VISTA goal is to eradicate poverty in the Capital Region through building organizational capacity and sustainability. Current VISTA community partners include: Can Code Communities, CARES NY, Charlton School, Connect Center, Focus Churches, Community Loan Fund, Schenectady Community Ministries, and Siena's Center for Academic Community Engagement.
Kate K. Burns MSW, LCSW-R, Director of Health Promotion
Kate K. Burns was awarded a 3 year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement Project HOPE (HOPE) a campus-wide public health initiative focused on education about suicide and suicide prevention to identify students who are at risk for suicide and suicide attempts, increase protective factors that promote mental health, reduce risk factors for suicide, and ultimately reduce suicides and suicide attempts. The purpose of HOPE is to save lives. Inherent in the project is the effort to enhance mental health services for all Siena students, including not just those at high risk for suicide, but also those experiencing depression, serious mental illness (SMI)/serious emotional disturbances (SED), and/or substance use disorders (SUD) that can lead to school failure.
Dr. Jesse Moya, Associate Professor, Education Department
Dr. Moya received a five-year award from the New York State Education Department under the Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) program that is a component of the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. Under Dr Moya’s direction the Siena Education Department will address three overarching aims; cultivating a learning environment that values diversity, inclusion and equity; increasing the number of students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds to go into and stay in teaching; and preparing all teacher candidates to work effectively with diverse populations. Each year ten TOC students will be selected and are expected to graduate from Siena, complete the Teacher Preparation Program and pass their teacher certification assessments. TOC students will begin successful careers in teaching at high-needs schools within two years of graduation from Siena.
CHARLES F. SEIFERT, PH.D. DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ERIK R. EDDY, PH.D. PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Seifert & Dr. Eddy received a one-year grant from the Mother Cabrini Foundation under the Trauma Informed Leadership Development Program where Siena College will develop a pastoral leadership development program, based on a trauma informed framework, focusing on specific topics that participants consider critically important to their ability to serve the broader community. 45 parish leaders will participate in the academic and practical formation and development, from this the goal is a combined 1,500 individuals will be contacted by program participants throughout the program year.Dr. George Hassel, Teaching Assistant Professor in Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Hassel was awarded an equipment grant from the American Meteor Society to upgrade a radio meteor scatter detection experiment. The system uses a software-defined radio to detect and record radio signals from distant transmitters as they scatter from meteor trails. The project is intended to automate the detection process and to perform comparative statistical analysis of meteor shower counts.
Scott Greenhalgh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Greenhalgh received a three-year award from the National Science Foundation to develop and apply a novel class of mathematical models, which uniquely predict disease outbreaks by the total number of days people are infected with a disease, rather than disease incidence alone. Anticipated outcomes from the work will contribute to both the information needed by public health officials to make informed decisions and the state of knowledge on disease evolution. The grant will support student involvement in all aspects of the project, including travel to conferences, model development, data analysis, and the publishing of results.
Foundation Grants
ACE
$30,000 from the Willits Foundation. The Willits Foundation grant provides funding to help with the costs associated with transporting Siena’s Student Bonner Leaders to their nonprofit partner sites which are located in the most underserved areas of the Capital Region.
The School of Science
$125,000 from the George I. Alden Trust for a Compound Fluorescent Microscope for the planned Advanced Imaging Lab for the School of Science. This microscope will allow Siena faculty to perform cutting-edge experiments in our teaching labs and teach our research students to perform procedures that are used by the top research labs around the world. This will provide excellent, meaningful training for students and make them competitive for positions in top-notch biology labs as well as top-tier graduate, post-baccalaureate, and MD/PhD programs in the biomedical and biological science fields.
The Mission Office
$50,000 from the John, Marie, Joseph Whalen Foundation to help fund the statue of St. Francis to be installed in front of Gioia Hall. This statue is part of the College’s mission to maintain its Franciscan and Catholic identity through imagery on campus. Students who are educated at Siena in the Franciscan tradition leave with values and knowledge which prepares them to lead a compassionate, reflective and productive life of service and leadership. St. Francis and will be installed at Siena’s Gioia Hall. As students are welcomed to Siena and into the Franciscan narrative at Gioia Hall, they will be greeted by a statue of a young St. Francis walking in the footsteps of Christ. St. Francis will be depicted at the beginning of his conversion experience. With hand outstretched Francis invites students into Siena College and to join him as they are about to embark on their spiritual and educational journey of a lifetime. This eight-foot statue was sculpted by John Collier with installation and unveiling planned for October of 2022.
The Siena – Albany Medical College
$20,000 from the Dominic Ferraioli Foundation for the AMC Summer of Service program. Students are required to perform two summers of service, one while at Siena and another while at Albany Medical College. Between Junior and Senior years, Siena-AMC students embark on this Summer of Service. These service activities will largely be done in areas where the population is underserved. The students may travel abroad or remain in the United States depending on their interests. This unique part of the program, combined with Siena's strong emphasis on a broad based scientific and liberal arts curriculum, gives our students a profound depth of knowledge, understanding, and compassion when they enter their medical careers. The Summer of Service typically lasts four to six weeks.