2024-25 Grants

Dr. Nikolai Krylov, Professor of Mathematics, has been awarded the American Mathematical Society-Simons Research Enhancement Grant for Faculty at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). This prestigious three-year grant will support Dr. Krylov’s research, which focuses on exploring the connections between Riordan arrays and the algebraic properties of polynomials, as well as investigating the potential applications of the Riordan group in (algebraic) number theory. Dr. Krylov’s work aligns with the AMS’s mission to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion within the mathematical research community.

Congratulations to Dr. John Moustakas, professor of physics and astronomy, for being awarded two major research grants. Prof Moustakas received a three-year, $225,000 grant from the Department of Energy and a one-year, $97,713 grant from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to support his participation in the ongoing Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey and to help lay the groundwork for the next-generation DESI-II program. Specifically, these awards will enable Moustakas’ research group to continue its work tackling major outstanding problems in observational cosmology, including answering fundamental questions about the evolution of galaxies and elucidating the mysterious cosmic force known as dark energy. Dark energy causes the expansion rate of the universe to accelerate, but its origin and physical nature remains unknown. Undergraduate students will actively participate in every aspect of the proposed work, including travel to world-class astronomical observatories and conferences, and gaining valuable research experience in two of the most significant physics experiments of the decade.

Dr. Mary Beth Kolozsvary, Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences, received an award for $8,991 from Cornell Cooperative Extension to develop an educational learning module targeted towards undergraduate environmental majors and non-majors. Students will role-play invasive species environmental decision-making using data from iMapInvasives. The learning module will introduce invasive species and, in particular, the complexities in working collaboratively to design, justify, and defend proposed effective, feasible, on-the-ground solutions.

The John, Marie and Joseph Foundation has awarded Siena College $50,000 to develop a Certificate in Liturgy Music. The generous grant will be used to support curriculum development, faculty stipends, education materials, experiential educational opportunities and resources. This investment will enable the College to launch the program in the upcoming academic year, providing students with a transformative educational experience rooted in the Catholic Franciscan tradition.