Grant Awards

Christopher Zirkle, Associate Professor, Department of Educational StudiesChristopher Zirkle

This project seeks to combine the expertise of both the College of Education and Human Ecology with the College of Engineering. The goal of the project is to create a set of curriculum to train entry level technicians on the safe use of additive manufacturing materials including metal powders and liquid polymers. The OSU team will work with both corporate and academic subject matter experts to tailor the curriculum to the current needs of the additive manufacturing industry.

Jamie Lipp, Clinical Assistant Professor, Reading Recovery

The OSU Urban and Rural Tutoring Partnership for Student Acceleration is a 581k grant awarded to OSU from the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.  This grant is a three part project, with two parts focusing on literacy support (OSU Columbus Campus (Jamie Lipp). and OSU Newark (Terri Hessler)) and one part focusing on math support (OSU Mansfield- Terri Bucci).  These projects give OSU pre-service teachers the opportunity to tutor students in partner schools in an effort to accelerate student learning.

More information: https://education.ohio.gov/Media/Media-Releases/2022-Media-Releases/Ohio-Announces-$20-Million-in-Tutoring-Grants#.Y7UZFezMK84

Sanja Ilic, Associate Professor, Human Nutrition

Dr. Ilic in her lab focuses on prevention of foodborne diseases. She investigates human pathogens like Salmonella and L. monocytogenes, and their transmission, proliferation and dissemination routes, and interventions to prevent and reduce risks of food contamination and human disease from farm to consumption. The findings of this study for the first time describe human pathogen survival in commercial NFT systems and highlight the urgent need for novel approaches to mitigate the risks from nutrient solution contamination in hydroponics.

Traci Lepicki, Associate Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives

Since 1995, we have provided leadership and coordination of statewide adult education activities in collaboration with the state Aspire office at the Ohio Department of Higher Education, local programs, and a network of professional development providers. We use a process of continuous improvement to realign to the state Aspire office strategic goals and priorities, ensuring that activities align with the best interest of Aspire programs and adult learners throughout Ohio.  Our associates analyze, design, develop, and  implement training programs aligned to academic content, staff, and professional development standards for Ohio Aspire professionals.

Becky Huang, Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning

The researchers will develop a new small-group intervention for English learners (ELs) in grades 3 through 5 who have reading comprehension difficulties. The intervention called the Building Knowledge and Language through Inquiry Framework (KLI), aims to help readers strengthen their language and literacy skills while building new knowledge of interesting topics in the disciplines (science and social studies). The KLI approach aims to build students’ knowledge of both the language and the topic area through direct instruction and through inquiry-based approaches, such as having students engage in conversations about language and the topic area. By addressing both of these areas of knowledge concurrently, KLI will help improve the reading comprehension of upper-elementary ELs.

https://sites.ced.ncsu.edu/the-literacy-space/projects/building-knowledge-and-language-through-inquiry-kli/

Scott Graves, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Studies

This rise in preschool suspensions has had a disproportionate impact on Black children. Data from the U.S. Department of Education indicates that Black children comprise for 18% of preschool enrollment but almost half (48%) of the children suspended more than once. To gain a better understanding of social-emotional intervention in preschool settings that may help suspension issues, the US Department of Health and Human Services commissioned the Head Start CARES study.

This project asks, Are specific social-emotional programs or practices more or less effective for Black children? Is intervention effectiveness in CARES impacted by teacher-child ethnic match? The results will provide knowledge on how to improve the social-emotional functioning of children in preschool settings and provide policy makers with evidence regarding what specific interventions work for Black children.