OK EPSCoR Researchers Among Those Awarded OSU Interdisciplinary Grants

Sixteen faculty-led research projects that involve creative collaboration and support Oklahoma State University's land-grant mission have been approved for a total of $500,000 in funding through OSU's Interdisciplinary Creative Planning Grant Program.

"We have a strong and interesting group of projects for this second year of grants, each integrating at least two academic disciplines from two or more OSU colleges or schools," said OSU Provost and Senior Vice President Bob Sternberg. "These creative projects hold real promise in providing lasting value to society. We congratulate the winners and thank them for their commitment to OSU's land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach."

By the end of August 2013, the researchers will submit reports summarizing their activities and outcomes, a description of how they serve the land-grant mission, and progress in identifying sustainable external funding sources.

The following are the 16 projects that were awarded funding for the year ahead:

2012 Interdisciplinary Creative Grant Awards

Proposal No. 1

Proposal Title:  NextGen STEM Career Outreach

Principal Investigator:  Julie Thomas, Teaching & Curriculum Leadership

Co-PIs: Tyler Ley, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Toni Ivey, Teaching & Curriculum Leadership; Christine Ormsbee, Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence

Brief Summary:

The proposed project would develop new curriculum modules to educate 5th grade children about STEM disciplines. Specifically, three modules relating science skills learned in the classroom to actual STEM careers would be developed to be shown in classes in rural Oklahoma schools (and potentially other schools as well).

Proposal No. 2

Proposal Title:  Development of a Multidisciplinary Program in Unmanned Systems

Principal Investigator:  Andy Arena, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Co-PI's: Girish Chowdhary, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Joe Conner, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Jamey Jacob, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Rick Gaeta, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Chuck Bunting, Electrical & Civil Engineering; Vignesh Rajamani, Electrical & Civil Engineering, Weihua Sheng, Electrical & Civil Engineering; James West, Electrical & Civil Engineering; J.D. Carlson, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Ning Wang, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Paul Weckler, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Subhash Kak, Computer Science; Tyson Ochsner, Plant and Soil Science; Bill Raun, Plant and Soil Science.

Brief Summary:

Investigators from CEAT, A&S, and CASNR propose establishing an Engineering Research Center for unmanned flight to conduct research on vehicles suited for a variety of operations.

Proposal No. 3

Proposal Title:  National Institute for Whole chain Traceability and Food Safety

Principal Investigator:  Michael Buser. Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering and Brian Adam, Agricultural Economics

Co-PI's: Balabhaskar Balasundaram, Industrial Engineering & Management; Timothy Bowser, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Lynn Brandenberger, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture; Satish Bukkapatnam, Industrial Engineering and Management; Beth Caniglia, Sociology; Dwayne Cartmell, Agricultural Communications; Chanjin Chung, Agricultural Economics; Jacqueline Fletcher, Entomology & Plant Pathology; Scott Frazier, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Rodney B. Holcomb, Agricultural Economics; Rick Ingalls, Industrial Engineering and Management; Divya Jaroni, Animal Science; Carol Jones, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Manjunath Kamath, Industrial Engineering and Management; Tieming Liu, Industrial Engineering and Management; Michael Long, Sociology; Li Maria Ma, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Yu (Jessie) Mao, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Blayne Mayfield, Computer Science; Traci Naile, Agricultural Communications; Derrell Sylvester Peel, Agricultural Economics; Shelly Ruth Peper Sitton, Agricultural Education, Communications & Leadership; Timothy Snider, Entomology & Plant Pathology; Johnson Thomas, Computer Science; Ning Wang, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Paul Weckler, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

Brief Summary:

The proposal seeks to create a center that will develop a large data base for tracing food supply chain for food safety.

Proposal No. 4

Proposal Title:  Wearable Sensing Systems and Technologies

Principal Investigator:  Bruce Benjamin, Center for Health Sciences

Co-PI's: Satish Bukkapatnam, Industrial Engineering and Management; Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, Design, Housing & Merchandising; Semra Peksoz, Design Housing & Merchandising;

Brief Summary:

Proposed center for sensors that can be worn with apparel for healthcare monitoring, based on miniature transmitters.

Proposal No. 5

Proposal Title:  Remote Health Care Systems

Principal Investigator:  Nazanin Rahnavard, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Co-PI's: Johnson Thomas, Computer Science; William Pettit, Center for Health Sciences; Allen Finchum, Geography

Brief Summary:

Develop a framework for integrating wireless communication protocols, cognitive radio networks, and GIS into health care systems.

Proposal No. 6

Proposal Title:  Building a Center for Integrated Renewable Energy Systems

Principal Investigator:  Rama Ramakumar, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Co-PI's: Hasan Atiyeh, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Satish Bukkapatnam, Industrial Engineering and Management; Eric Chan-Tin, Computer Science; Dr. Qi Cheng, Electrical and Computer Engineering; William Kolarik, Industrial Engineering & Management; Ajay Kumar, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering; Karen Maguire, Economics; Toby Nelson, Chemistry

Brief Summary:

Plan and develop a platform for Integrated Renewable Energy Systems (IRES) research, education and outreach programs and its various components.

Proposal No. 7

Proposal Title:  Certificate Program in substance Abuse Intervention

Principal Investigator:  Al Carlozzi, Applied Health and Educational Psychology

Co-PI's: Julie Clark, Applied Health and Educational Psychology; Valerie McGaha, Applied Health and Educational Psychology; Glade Topham, Human Development & Family Science; Thad Leffingwell, Psychology;

Brief Summary:

Substance abuse is an important problem in Oklahoma, OSU has a few course that cover the topic of substance use and abuse, but there is no academic program to train students specialized in substance abuse prevention and treatment. The PI proposed to start such a graduate program across three colleges and three departments.

Proposal No. 8

Proposal Title:  Augmented Reality Research, Education and Outreach

Principal Investigator:  Damon Chandler, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Co-PI's: David Jeong, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Awilda Rodriguez, Architecture; J. Cecil, Industrial Engineering & Management

Brief Summary:

Bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers to develop augmented reality approaches to be used in lower level (elementary and high-school) education.

Proposal No. 9

Proposal Title:  Prevention, Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

Principal Investigator:  Colony Fugate, Center for Health Sciences

Co-PI's: Kerry D. Morgan, Education; Teri Bourdeau, Center for Health Sciences; Julie Huber, Nutritional Sciences

Brief Summary:

Develop curriculum for obesity training of health professionals.

Proposal No. 10

Proposal Title:  SEA Full Proposal

Principal Investigator:  Jamey Jacob, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Co-PI's: Moh'd Bibleisi, Architecture; J. Cecil, Industrial Engineering & Management; Rick Bartholomew, Design Housing and Merchandising; Khaled Mansy, Architecture; Steve Marks, School of Educational Studies; Steven O'Hara, Architecture; Semra Peksoz, Design Housing & Merchandising

Brief Summary:

Development of space related habitats and apparel.

Proposal No. 11

Proposal Title:  Integrative Biology through Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Plant Microbes

Principal Investigator:  Astri Wayadande, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Co-PI's: Carla Garzon, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Steve Marek, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Ulrich Melcher, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Janette Steets, Botany; Kristin Baum, Zoology; Michael Palmer, Botany; Mark Fishbein, Botany; Andrew Doust, Botany

Brief Summary:

Propose to develop a collaborative program to enhance their research in ecology and evolution of infectious diseases.

Proposal No. 12

Proposal Title:  Sustainability Living Learning Community – A Demonstration Project

Principal Investigator:  Melanie Page, Psychology

Co-PI's: Philippe Garmy, Hotel and Restaurant Administration; Michael Holmes, Landscape Architecture; Jane Talkington, Business; Kent Sampson, Campus Life; Matt Brown, Residential Life

Brief Summary:

Project would begin the planning process to secure a permanent sustainable living community at OSU

Proposal No. 13

Proposal Title:  Epicenter for Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Development – Phase I: Water

Principal Investigator:  Jason Vogel, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

Co-PI's: Glenn Brown, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Scott Frazier, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Daniel Storm, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering; Bruce Russell, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Heather Yates, construction Management Technology; Gina Peek, Design Housing and Merchandising; Rubin Pillay, Entrepreneurship; Jane Talkington, Business; Shannon Ferrell, Agricultural Economics; Shannon Ferrell, Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership; Michael Holmes, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture; Dennis Martin, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture; Michael Schnelle, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture; Kim Toscano, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture; Daren Redfearn, Plant & Soil Science; Jason Warren, Plant & Soil Science; Don Turton, Natural Resources and Ecology Management

Brief Summary:

Establish an education and technology center for sustainable development starting with training modules for classes and extension.

Proposal No. 14

Proposal Title:  Plastic and Nanoclay based Composites from Eastern Red Cedar

Principal Investigator:  A. Kaan Kalkan, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Co-PI's: Salim Hiziroglu, Natural Resource Ecology and Management

Brief Summary:

Develop transformative plastic, nano-based clay and wood composite product that would impact Oklahoma's economy by exploiting one its vast and largely underutilized resources, the Eastern red cedar.

Proposal No. 15

Proposal Title:  Masters of Public Health

Principal Investigator:  Julie Cross, Education

Co-PI's: Tammy Henderson, Human Sciences; Bridget Miller, Education; Rubin Pillay, Business; Joan Stewart, Center for Health Sciences; Steve Eddy, Center for Health Sciences; Michael Merten, Human Sciences; Traci Naile, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources; Barbara Stoecker, Human Sciences; Deb VanOverbeke, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources

Brief Summary:

Establish MPH program with focus on rural and underserved populations

Proposal No. 16

Proposal Title:  Infrared Structural Biology Initiative

Principal Investigator:  Aihua Xie, Physics

Co-PI's: Junpeng Deng, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Jie Pan, Physics

Brief Summary:

To build an OSU core collaborative and user facility for infrared structural biology that is accessible to OSU and Oklahoma investigators

Story credit:  Oklahoma State University, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 21:34