Committee on Research - Reports to Senate

Submitted May 20, 2019

​​​​​​Committee members: Thomas Beal (chair), Mette Harder, Chien-Wei (Wilson) Lin, Geoffrey O’Shea, Florian Reyda, Kathy Meeker (ex officio)

A main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity (CA) on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day. It also reviews policies and new initiatives, and provides feedback to key stakeholders regarding research and scholarship-related issues that impact the faculty and the campus community.

Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity

A total of $63,450 was available for awards from the ‘traditional’ Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity for 2018/19 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program
“Traditional” Track

Source

Amount

College at Oneonta Foundation (income from unrestricted endowment)

$50,000

Dr. Gary Holway Scientific Achievement Award fund (College Foundation)

$4,750

Alumni Association

$5,000

SURC 2018 proceeds (one-time)

$3,700

Total

$63,450

Available funding in 2018/19 has been supplemented by the second of a three-year Strategic Allocation of Resources (StAR) award (“Student Research and Creative Activity: Expanding Opportunities and Access”) totaling $75,000 over the three-year period. The goal of this StAR award is to engage students early in their college careers and expose an increased number of (and more diverse) students to the research and creative processes. Based on the very positive feedback and reporting from student recipients and faculty mentors awarded funds in year one of the StAR initiative, the three new program tracks developed and implemented by the Committee on Research in 2017/18 were again offered in 2018/19. The ‘new’ tracks include: [1] a “Shadow” track for freshmen, sophomores and first-year transfer students, [2] a “Classroom-based” track intended to enhance the research/ CA element of a course(s), and [3] a “Summer Fellowship” track intended to assist undergraduate students with costs related to participating in faculty-mentored summer research/CA.

The Committee conducted significant outreach to promote and encourage applicants to the program, including Daily Bulletin and Provost listserv announcements, posters and a postcard announcing the various opportunities distributed campus-wide, as well as selected departmental presentations.

For 2019 funding, two grant application rounds were offered (fall 2018 and spring 2019). Data on applications and awards are indicated below, and a listing of awards is detailed in Appendix I.

Traditional Track

Shadow Track

Classroom-based Track

Summer Fellowship Track

# Applications

31

11

10

6

# Awards

28

11

8

6

# Student applicants

36

11

N/A

6

# Student awardees

31

11

N/A

6

$ Requested

$53,895

$5,330

$9,625

$13,720

$ Awarded

$43,775

$3,810

$7,175

$13,720

Student Research & Creative Activity (SRCA) Day

Hosting the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) in 2018 informed plans for organizing the 2019 SRCA Day, including expansion of presentation options and streamlined scheduling. For the first time, the SRCA Day event was presented on two consecutive days (afternoon of April 18 and morning of April 19); students could choose to participate in either of the two sessions. The event featured 102 student projects representing the work of 152 students and 73 faculty sponsors (44 presented on April 18 and 58 presented on April 19). Student grant-funded projects embodied 25.5% of the presentations, and 42% of the projects presented were sustainability-related (encouraged and designated via a partnership with the Office of Sustainability and the President’s Advisory Council on Sustainability (PACS). Also for the first time, “oral presentation” was offered as a format option; five students chose to make oral presentations.

The SRCA Keynote Address entitled The Science of Knowing Shapes the Art of Living was delivered by Andrea J. Casper (class of 1975), who has 25 years of progressive experience in regulatory affairs. SRCA Day has become a signature event spotlighting student scholarly effort at SUNY Oneonta. The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office (SRCA Day link) website.

During the year, the Committee discussed whether to resume the College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity program and determined that, due to process issues and the desire to fund as many student research/CA projects as possible, the program would not be continued. However, grant-funded projects are designated both in the SRCA program and on the posters of funded projects.

Advocacy for Research and Scholarly Activity

The Committee on Research is periodically called upon by the College Senate Steering Committee to review initiatives, issues and draft resolutions, or to provide representation on ad hoc committees, task forces, etc. related to issues pertinent to the Committee. This year, Kathy Meeker (ex officio member) was asked by former Provost James Mackin to serve as the point person for the charge from the SUNY Board of Trustees to establish an Open Access (Scholarship) policy and repository for our campus. An Open Access to SUNY Scholarship ad hoc Committee has been formed with a representative from the Committee on Research (Mette Harder), as well as representatives from the Committee on Technology, Library Committee, ITS, Finance & Administration, Milne Library, graduate programs, and academic administration. Two meetings of the committee were held during the spring 2019 semester, and intensive work will commence in the fall 2019 semester to meet the March 2020 Board of Trustees deadline.

Appendix 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2018/19 Awards

Fall 2018 Awards

“Traditional” Track

Zea Beckwith (Wesley Bernard, Art): Homeless Heroes ($1,250)

Gina DiGiovanni, Gillian Suzzan (Yoko Takagi): Sub-Cultures in the U.S.: Research on Parental Beliefs About Children's Developmental Goal ($1,400)

Joshua Garufi, Heather Noulis (Katherine Lau, Psychology): Attitudes Towards Police ($1,016)

Connor Hatton (Allan Green, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Regulation of Lipolysis by AMPK ($1,964)

Dylan Joyce (Andrew Bottomley, Communication & Media): Student Produced Video Series ($1,400)

William Leahy (Matthew Hendley, History): Interwar Social Policy in Hong Kong: a Comparison of Hong Kong Governors, 1919-1941 ($1,600)

Katherine Martinez (Sean Robinson, Biology): Population Genetic Structure of the Flowering Plant Diapensia lapponica (Diapensiaceae) in the Northeastern Alpine Zone ($1,420)

Madison McQueeney, Athena DeCarmine (Jody Aultman, Human Ecology): A Study in Surface Design ($1,600)

Elizabeth Meaney (Bharath Ramkumar, Human Ecology): Marketing Sustainability of Textiles at SUNY Oneonta ($1,250)

Emilie Mull (Alejandra Escudero, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Website for Spanish Phonetics in the Target Language ($710)

Caleigh-Shea Murphy (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): HSF1 Mediation of Cytotoxic Effects when Exposed to High Levels of Zinc ($2,100)

David Ndambuki (Junryo Watanabe, Biology): Characterization of Novel Genes Involved in Removing Apoptotic Debris ($2,100)

Kailey Nuccio (Vicky Lentz, Biology): Effect of MIF and BAFF on B cell Survival ($2,100)

James Pasquino (Heike Geisler, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Graphene Nanocomposites Used to Detect CA 19-9 ($1,900)

Nicole Pedisich [graduate student] (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Population Genetics of the Knobbed Salmonfly, Pteronarcys biloba (Newman), in New York State ($2,100)

Nicholas Reyes (Vicky Lentz, Biology): Monoclonal Antibody Production Against American Eel Immunoglobulin ($2,100)

Tashae Smith [graduate student] (Gretchen Sorin, Cooperstown Graduate Program): History and Interpretation of Slavery in Upper Manhattan ($2,000)

Laiken Whittredge (Wesley Bernard, Art): For All The Things I Can’t Explain ($1,300)

Abigail Williams (Alexandra Nicolette, Human Ecology): Vegan Coconut Milk Yogurt with Increased Dietary Fiber and Protein Content ($820)

Chumin Wu (Ho Hon Leung, Sociology): Documentary Photo Essay on Zhaoyang Village, Southern China ($2,100)

“Classroom-based” Track

Wesley Bernard (Art): ART 310: Basic Photography ($625)

Andrew Bottomley (Communication & Media): MCOM 220: Digital Storytelling ($850)

“Shadowing” Track

Howard Ashford (Africana & Latino Studies): Shadow student September Schaffer ($500)

Maria Chaves-Daza (Africana & Latino Studies): Shadow student Olivia Edgar ($500)

Katherine Lau (Psychology): Shadow student Victoria Blydenburgh ($290)

Yoko Takagi (Psychology): Shadow students Alisha Williams & Molly Champagne ($500)

Spring 2019 Awards

“Traditional” Track

Tayler Baldwin (Emily Riddle, Human Ecology): Effectiveness of Methods Used to Teach the Translation of Evidenced Based Research into Practice in Undergraduate Dietetics Students ($600)

Sarah Callan [graduate student] (Erik Stengler, Cooperstown Graduate Program): Visitor Perceptions and Expectations of Botanic Gardens in Relation to Controversial Science ($1,450)

Cassandra Carl [graduate student] (Sarah Karas, Milne Library): Crisis Literature as an Emerging Subgenre of Young Adult Literature ($787)

Kathryn Dragan [graduate student] (Erik Stengler, Cooperstown Graduate Program): The Continued Human Interest in the Macabre and How Museums can Respond ($2,050)

Hannah Harby [graduate student] (Elizabeth Bastiaans, Biology): Inbreeding and Genetic Effects among Adult Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) and Offspring in Upstate New York ($2,100)

Danielle Swierczyna (Allan Green, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Does AMPK Stimulate or Inhibit Lipolysis? Effects of an Inhibitor ($1,266)

Lauren Venditti (Jacqueline Bruscella, Communication & Media): The Effect of Gender Stereotyped Advertisements on the Women of the Advertising Industry ($1,674)

Nathan Viechweg (George Hovis, English): “Whoolly Bear” Short Film ($1,618)

“Classroom-based” Track

Wesley Bernard (Art): ARTH 221: History of Photography ($1,000)

Andrew Bottomley (Communication & Media): MCOM 340: Participatory Media ($700)

Gregory Fulkerson (Sociology): SOC 352: Rural Sociology ($1,000)

Brian Lowe (Sociology): SOC 390: Senior Seminar ($1,000)

Timothy Newton (Music): MUS 280: VOCI Chamber Singers ($1,000)

Christine Storrie (Economics, Finance & Accounting): ECON 216: College Fed Challenge ($1,000)

“Shadowing” Track

Allan Green (Chemistry & Biochemistry): Shadow student Angel Villarini ($250)

Andrew Bottomley (Communication & Media): Shadow student David Jimenez ($740)

Joshua Nollenberg (Physics & Astronomy): Shadow student Stephen Hatalla ($250)

Joshua Nollenberg (Physics & Astronomy): Shadow student Edgar Ochoa ($250)

Rahul Rastogi (Communication & Media): Shadow student Miquela Quiles ($280)

Gayane Torosyan (Communication & Media): Shadow student Emily Hard ($250)

“Summer Fellowship” Track

Brandon Hitchcock (Angela Migues, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Campus-based research ($2,300)

Eduardo Lopez (Kelly Gallagher, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Campus-based research ($2,300)

Connor Manion (Antoine Blanc, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Campus-based research ($2,300)

Carolyn Navarro (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Campus-based research ($2,220)

Ashley Germosen Rosa (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Campus-based research ($2,300)

Chumin Wu (Ho Hon Leung, Sociology): Off-campus research with faculty mentor ($2,300)

Submitted June 2018

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Tracy Betsinger, Melissa Godek, Mette Harder, Florian Reyda (chair), Kathy Meeker (ex officio)

The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity (CA) on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day (the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference [SURC] in 2018).

Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity

A total of $60,700 was allocated to the ‘traditional’ student grant award program for 2017/18 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program

Source

Amount

College at Oneonta Foundation (income from unrestricted endowment)

$49,000

Dr. Gary Holway Scientific Achievement Award fund (College Foundation)

$4,600

Alumni Association

$5,000

LEAF (community partner)

$2,100

Total

$60,700

This was supplemented by a StAR award (“Student Research and Creative Activity: Expanding Opportunities and Access”) for $75,000 over three years intended to engage students earlier in their college careers and expose increased numbers of (and more diverse) students to the research and creative processes. Three new program tracks were developed and implemented by the Research Committee in 2017/18 with support of the StAR award. These include: [1] a “Shadow” track for freshmen, sophomore and first-year transfer students, [2] a “Classroom-based” track intended to enhance the research/CA element of a course(s), and [3] a “Summer Fellowship” track intended to assist undergraduate students with costs related to participating in actively-mentored summer research/CA.

The Committee conducted significant outreach to promote and encourage applications to the program, including evening ‘drop-in’ information sessions for students (not well attended), Daily Bulletin and Provost listserv announcements, posters and a ‘postcard’ announcing the new tracks distributed campus-wide, and a presentation at the Council of Chairs to introduce the new tracks.

There were two rounds of applications, fall 2017 and spring 2018, to the student grant program; applications and awards (listed in Appendix I) are summarized below.

Traditional Track

Shadow Track

Classroom-based Track

Summer Fellowship Track

# Applications

40

10

5

8

# Awards

30

8

5

5*

# Student applicants

56

10

N/A

8

# Student awardees

42

8

N/A

5*

$ Requested

$66,252

$5,850

$4,800

$12,430

$ Awarded

$45,467

$4,850

$4,800

$7,730

*3 awardees relinquished their fellowships (2 were accepted into NSF REU programs)

Faculty mentors of completed “Shadow” track awards were asked to submit a brief assessment including a summary of activities, how the experience benefited the student, any specific outcomes, and whether the student is likely to continue work on the research or creative activity supported by the award. All reports (4) indicated very positive feedback including that the shadow student plans to continue with more in-depth project participation. The one completed “Classroom-based” award submitted reflections of student participants, all of which indicated highly positive impact. Other awards will be underway in fall 2018 (and Summer Fellowships are in progress); further assessment will be made at the conclusion of the semester. The Research Committee will review the submitted assessments and other feedback at the first committee meeting of the fall and will recommend and implement changes and updates to the program tracks, application process, required follow-up, etc.

The SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC)

An application to host the 2018 SURC was prepared by Research Committee members and submitted to SUNY by the Provost on August 8. Notification of acceptance was received on August 18. A steering committee was formed in mid-September (including a representative of the Research Committee, Tracy Betsinger, in addition to Kathy Meeker), semi-weekly meetings were convened throughout the fall and springs semesters leading up to the event (held on April 20), and SURC was successfully realized. A report has been prepared and submitted to SUNY (available upon request). In summary, SURC facilitated 283 presentations, with over 600 registrants, VIPs, and student and faculty volunteers.

As indicated earlier, it had been determined that, if awarded hosting duties, SURC would supplant the annual Student Research & Creative Activity (SRCA) Day for 2018. It was anticipated that SUNY Oneonta would be strongly represented at SURC and it was, with 206 SUNY Oneonta student presenters, mentored by 86 faculty/staff from 27 different academic and administrative departments, presenting 139 projects. Hosting SURC has informed plans for the 2019 (scheduled for April 19) SRCA Day event, including expansion of presentation options and streamlined scheduling, venue logistics, and other details.

The SURC Steering Committee (in consultation with the Research Committee) also determined that, with the campus hosting the 2018 SURC event, it would be logistically unfeasible to execute the annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. This program was established in 2011 to recognize and honor high quality independent research/CA projects conducted by SUNY Oneonta students with faculty sponsorship, presented at SRCA Day to a panel of judges. It also was created to promote and engage more students and faculty in programs that support research/CA. The program is funded through the allocated funding indicated in Table 1 above, primarily through a balance carried over from prior years when applications to the student grant program were far fewer than in recent years and awarded funding was difficult to access and awards went unused (prior to the Grant Development Office assuming administrative and fiscal responsibility for the program). Further, there are some unaddressed issues with the program (e.g. nomination process and timing). Therefore, the Research Committee will conduct a review during the fall 2018 semester to determine whether to continue the awards program.

Appendix 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2017/18 Award Recipients

Fall 2017 Awards

“Traditional” Track

Kayla Belush (Alejandra Escudero, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Human Rights and the U.S. Immigration System: Push Factors and the Search for the American Dream ($1,640)

Finella Campanino (Allan Green, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Effect of Curcumin on Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation ($1,478)

Chelsea Cannon [graduate student] (Donna Vogler, Biology): The Competition for Pollinators and Reproductive Success of Hibiscus moscheutos with and Invasive Species Lythrum salicaria Influence ($1,500)

Megan Chiovaro, Sarah Curtin, Nicole Faraci (Katherine Lau, Psychology): The Impact of Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events on Mental Health, and Seeking Mental Health Services ($1,430)

Chelsea Cannon [graduate student] (Daniel Stich, Biology): Population Dynamics of Spawning Walleye in Otsego Lake, NY ($2,100)

Kyle Dudgeon (Wendy Lascell, Geography & Environmental Sustainability): New Orleans: From City to Sea ($1,546)

Henry Feist (Wesley Bernard, Art): Narrowing the Gap ($1,436)

Jake Hatzfeld (Joshua Nollenberg, Physics & Astronomy): Alcubierre Warp Drive ($770)

Taylor Held (Paul Lord & Fred Zalatan, Biology): Eastern ellipto Survivorship and Host Availability in Otego Creek (Otsego County), New York ($1,354)

Joshua Herrara (James Ebert, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Geochemistry of Garnets form the Peck Lake Formation ($1,636)

Justin Hulbert (Daniel Stich, Biology): No Bones About It: Age Determination from Hard Parts for Understanding Characteristics of Fishes in Southeastern, NY ($1,578)

Joseph LaCourt (Wendy Lascell, Geography & Environmental Sustainability): A Case Study of the “Make It Right Foundation” ($900)

Jason Lobdell (Leslie Hasbargen, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Comparison of 3D Geomorphic Mapping Techniques ($1,836)

Kaitlyn Miller (Renee Walker, Anthropology): Hunting and Gathering up the Truth: Taking a Shot at Understanding Prehistoric Life in Upstate NY ($917)

Juliet Morin (Tracy Betsinger, Anthropology): Kennewick Man: A Forensic Facial Reconstruction ($2,100)

Phuong Nguyen (Chilton Reynolds & Tim Ploss, TLTC): Accessibility of Mathematical Notation ($2,082)

Cheyenne Pommelle, Byron Peregrim (Florian Reyda, Biology): Undergraduate Field Experience: Collecting Neoechinorhynchus from Washington State ($1,600)

Emily Proutey [graduate student] (Donna Vogler, Biology): Evaluating the Value and Quality of Wetlands in Otsego County, NY, using the Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) Method ($1,600)

Jonelle Reyes (Tsitsi McPherson, Biology & Rahul Rastogi, Communication & Media): SUCO Ecological Footprint Assessment ($1,900)

Jessica Schoeck (Florian Reyda, Biology): Investigation of Seed Shrimps as Possible Hosts of Thorny-headed Worms ($1,350)

Diana Serrano, Julieta Eulau, Teresa Gonzalez (Maria Montoya, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Living Bilingual and Bicultural ($696)

Estefania Torijano (Maria Montoya, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Intercultural Competence through Collaborative On-line International Learning [COIL] ($750)

Chumin Wu (Ho Hon Leung, Sociology): Lolita Fashion Style Documentary Series Photography and Research ($1,275)

“Classroom-based” Track

Ellen Cleghorne (Africana & Latino Studies): ALS 279: Hip Hop Culture ($1,000)

Alejandra Escudero (Foreign Languages & Literatures): SPAN 203: Advanced Spanish Usage II ($1,000)

“Shadowing” Track

Ashley Cooper (Art): Shadow student Tharuki Iddamalgodage ($750)

Alejandra Escudero (Foreign Languages & Literatures): Shadow student Finella Campanino ($750)

Jill Fielhaber (Biology): Shadow student Kristen Duscher ($750)

Kelly Gallagher (Chemistry & Biochemistry): Shadow student Brandon Hitchcock ($750)

Spring 2018 Awards

“Traditional” Track

David Andrews [graduate student] (Matthew Albright, Biological Field Station): Butterfield Lake Pollution and Nutrient Management ($1,600)

Michael Bagby (Keith Brunstad, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Determining Quantity and Quality of Sediments Trapped behind Oneonta's Lower Reservoir Dam using Side Scan Sonar (SSS), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Core Sampling, and Chemical Analysis ($2,000)

Samantha Cassata [graduate student] (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Examining Genetic Diversity in Fireflies (Photinus ignitus) ($2,100)

Mikala Gallo, Clare Jay, Amanda O’Meara (Elizabeth Seale, Sociology): Poverty and Behavior ($1,035)

Taryn More, Joshua Garufi, Peter Richardson, Stacey Pinto, Judson Parisi, John Reilly (James Zians, Psychology): Rural Attitudes and Behaviors ($2,100), funded by LEAF (community partner)

Brian Mullen [graduate student] (Florian Reyda, Biology): Defining the Problem: A Survey of Salamonid Gill Parasites in Lake Ontario ($1,304)

Collin Ungerleider, Adam Woods, Emily Hard (Andrew Bottomley, Communication & Media): “Worry” ($1,848)

“Classroom-based” Track

Paul Bauer (Economics, Finance & Accounting): ECON 373: Econometrics ($800)

Andrew Bottomley (Communication & Media): MCOM 220: Digital Storytelling ($1,000)

Christine Storrie (Economics, Finance & Accounting): ECON 216: College Fed Challenge ($1,000)

“Shadowing” Track

Matthew Hendley (History): Shadow student Ryan Rosenblum ($650)

Chien-Wei Lin (Management, Marketing & Information Systems): Shadow student Michael Lang ($500)

Joshua Nollenberg (Physics & Astronomy): Shadow student Stephen Hatalla ($250)

Joshua Nollenberg (Physics & Astronomy): Shadow student Jodeh Mahmmod ($450)

“Summer Fellowship” Track

Kathryn Kilichowski (Elizabeth Seale, Sociology): Campus-based research ($1,000)

William Leahy (Matthew Hendley, History): Campus-based research ($830)

Katie Manspeizer (Tracy Betsinger, Anthropology): Off-campus research with faculty mentor ($1,800)

Elizabeth Swislosky (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Campus-based research ($2,300)

Estefania Torijano (Maria Montoya, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Off-campus research with faculty mentor ($1,800)

Submitted June 7, 2017

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Tracy Betsinger, Melissa Godek, Mette Harder, Florian Reyda (chair), Kathy Meeker (ex officio)


The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity (CA) on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day.

A total of $58,650 was allocated to the student grants and awards programs for 2016/17 (see Table 1). As part of its outreach efforts, Committee members led evening ‘drop-in’ information sessions on the student grant process both semesters, held in the Hunt Union several weeks before each grant deadline. None of the sessions were well attended; the Committee will revisit outreach strategies for the 2017/18 academic year.

During the fall 2016 semester, the Committee received 28 applications requesting a total of $42,209 to review. A total of $29,327 in grants were awarded to support 18 student projects (with 20 student participants). For the spring 2017 grant round, the Committee received 20 submissions requesting $32,980 to review. A total of $22,948 in grants were awarded to 14 projects (with 16 student participants). In summary, 32 research/CA activity projects were funded in 2016/17, totaling $52,275. Successful proposals were submitted from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from the creative arts to the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities. A full listing of funded projects is included in Appendix 1 of this report.

Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program
Source Amount
College at Oneonta Foundation (income from unrestricted endowment) $49,000
Dr. Gary Holway Scientific Achievement Award fund (College Foundation) $4,650
Alumni Association (increase of $2,000) $5,000
Total $58,650

The 2017 SRCA Day was held on April 12 and featured 115 student projects representing the work of 166 students and 68 faculty sponsors. The SRCA Keynote Address entitled Oh, The Places you Can Go was delivered by Dr. John “Jack” Bonamo (class of 1972), Executive VP & Chief Medical Officer, Robert Wood Johnson–Barnabas Health System (and faculty member of Beijing University’s International MBA Program). SRCA Day has become one of the signature events spotlighting student scholarly effort at SUNY Oneonta. The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office website.

Prior to SRCA Day, faculty sponsors were asked to nominate students presenters for the annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. A group of faculty and staff that included members of the Research Committee reviewed and ranked all nominations to name the finalists, this year totaling 12 (10 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students). On SRCA Day, these finalists presented to a panel of judges comprised of Emeritus Faculty (Drs. Jane Grastorf, Bruce Knauer, and William Pietraface). Following deliberation and ranking, five undergraduate students were selected as awardees (as well as both graduate students), and received $300 prizes (their faculty sponsors received $100). The remaining student finalists received Honorable Mention prizes of $100 each. Prizes, totaling $3,300 for 2016/17, are funded by the College at Oneonta Foundation through philanthropic gifts to the College (see Table 1 above). The five undergraduate awardees made oral presentations at the final Faculty Convivium of the year on April 26, and were honored at the Academic Achievement Awards on May 3. A listing of finalists and awardees are included in Appendix 2 of this report.

During the fall 2016 semester, Committee members engaged in dialogue related to student engagement in research and CA, specifically regarding encouraging and supporting students from groups traditionally underrepresented in these activities, as well as engaging undergraduate students earlier in their college careers and exposing more students to the research and creative processes. These discussions resulted in submission of an application to the Strategic Allocation of Resources (StAR) program that proposed to enhance the Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity to address these specific concerns (a copy of the application is appended). Full funding was awarded ($75,000 over three years). Committee members met late in the spring 2017 semester to plan to offer new funding tracks starting in the fall 2017 semester. These will include a research/CA ‘shadowing’ program for 1st and 2nd year students, classroom-based support to integrate research components/activities into courses, and a summer research fellowship program that targets traditionally underrepresented students.

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2016/17 Award Recipients

Fall 2016 Awards

  • Jonathan Albert (April Ford, English): Children of the Hills ($1,200)
  • Emily Berezowski [graduate student] (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Test the Water Before you Dive In: Rad Sequencing and Contemporary Events ($2,100)
  • Caleb Brah (Tracy Allen, Geography & Environmental Sustainability): Bathymetric and Sedimentation Survey of Goodyear Lake ($2,096)
  • Nicole Cajo (Maria Montoya, Foreign Languages & Literatures): Colombian Healthcare: A Citizen's Perspective ($1,980)
  • Nicolas Capra (Jacqueline Bennett, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Estimating Imine Basicity Trends for Water Testing Applications ($982)
  • Shannon Crehan & Paula Rebancos (Kristen Roosa, Biology): Effect of the Circadian Rhythm on Phosphoramide Mustard-induced Toxicity in the Urinary System ($1,632)
  • Brandon Emerson [graduate student] (William Walker, Cooperstown Graduate Program): Cross Cultural Entrepreneurship: Examining Entrepreneurial Efforts at Fundación ABLE ($2,100)
  • Thomas Franzem (Daniel Stich, Biology): Factors Impacting Amphibian Abundance in Anthropogenic Vernal Pools ($1,200)
  • Anna Graziosi (June Tyler, Art): Ghost Stories ($600)
  • Kristen Guastella (Wesley Bernard, Art): Future of Farms ($1,698)
  • Kayonga Denis Muganza (Joe Pignato, Music): Visual Extended Play: "Fresh off the Boat" ($1,950)
  • Sarah Newtown [graduate student] (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Meiofaunal Distributions in Four Otsego County Aquatic Systems ($1,997)
  • William O'Connell [graduate student] (Donna Vogler, Biology): Skeletochronological Technique for Wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta ) ($1,155)
  • Fernando Peralta (Junryo Watanabe, Biology): Characterization of Novel Genes Involved in Removing Apoptotic Debris ($2,060)
  • Jonelle Reyes (Tsitsi McPherson, Biology & Philip Sirianni, Economics, Finance & Accounting): SUCO Ecological Footprint Assessment ($1,500)
  • Amanda Rhodes (Elizabeth Bastiaans, Biology): Jumping the Fence: Population Genetics of an Introduced Fence Lizard on Staten Island ($2,042)
  • Neil Rosenfeld & Marina Seidel (Jacqueline Bennett, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Lead Water Testing as a Simple in Home Fluorimetric Assay ($1,970)
  • Jaclyn Ruhl (Fred Zalatan, Biology): The Effects of Wood-boring Insects Exposure on Fungal Decay of Ash Wood ($1,065)

Spring 2017 Awards

  • Daniela Aguilar (Kelly Gallagher, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Glenwood and Cranberry Lake Preserve Management and Exploration ($1,200)
  • Dina Atwa (Rhea Nowak, Art): Mente et Amino ($1,105)
  • Margaret Doolin [graduate student] (Florian Reyda, Biology): Using Molecules and Morphology to Understand Diversity in Neoechinorhynchus ($1,956)
  • Julia Marcantonio (Joshua Nollenberg): Gravitational Lensing ($600)
  • Joseph McCarron (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Influence of IGF-1 on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Cancer Cells via mTOR and STAT Protein Interactions ($1,934)
  • Laura Melendez (Junryo Watanabe, Biology): Characterization of Novel Genes Involved in Removing Bacterial Debris ($1,021)
  • Kate Moore (Keith Brunstad, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Geochemistry, Petrology and Areal Distribution of Lava Flows Emanating from Goat Rocks Volcano, WA: Working towards an Eruption Prediction Model ($2,082)
  • Melissa Muller (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): The Effects of Larval Dispersal on the Gene Flow of Invasive Marine Mollusc Crepidula fornicata in Long Island Populations ($2,100)
  • John Palmerton (Keith Brunstad, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Magma Evolution Recorded in Micro-textures in Plagioclase from the Tieton Andesite Lava Flow, Goat Rocks Volcano, Washington, USA: Evidence of a Dynamic Magma Plumbing System ($1,731)
  • Fernando Peralta (Junryo Watanabe, Biology): Characterization of Novel Genes Involved in Removing Apoptotic Debris, Part II ($1,083)
  • Gabriella Scott (Paul Lord & Fred Zalatan, Biology): Eastern ellipto Survivorship and Host Availability in Otego Creek (Otsego County), New York ($1,924)
  • Emily Shaver & Erin Corsi (Theresa Loomis, Human Ecology): The Impact of Parental Role Modeling on SUNY Oneonta Student Eating and Exercise Patterns ($2,096)
  • Alexia Katriel Smith (Tami LaPilusa, Biology): Camp OLA: Where No One is Ever Crabby! ($2,024)
  • Emma Thompson (Elizabeth Bastiaans, Biology): Measures of Abundance of Ambystoma jeffersonianum Salamanders in a Vernal Pool System Using Environmental DNA ($2,092)

2017 College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDEES

Jonathan Albert (Dietetics) / Faculty Nominator: April Ford (English) "Children of the Hills"

Lyndsey Farrar (Geology/Anthropology) / Faculty Nominator: Leigh Fall (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) "How Does Body Size of Trilobites Change along a Water Depth Gradient in the Trenton Group (Middle Ordovician) of Central New York?"

Anna Graziosi (Computer Art) / Faculty Nominator: June Tyler (Art) "Ghost Stories"

Emilie Richard (Geology) / Faculty Nominator: Keith Brunstad (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) "Environmental Baseline Study for Managed Sediment Release from the Lower Reservoir, Oneonta Creek, Oneonta, NY"

Tristin Tait (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Elizabeth Bastiaans (Biology) "Variation in Dorsal Patterns among Populations in a Montane Mexican Lizard Species"

GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDEES

Margaret Doolin (MS, Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Florian Reyda (Biology) "Bringing Neoechinorhynchus into the 21st Century: A Two-pronged Systematic Investigation"

Colleen Parker (MS, Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Kiyoko Yokota (Biology) "Monitoring Mercury in Catskill Region Fishes"

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDEES (UNDERGRADUATE)

Lauren Cestone (Sociology) / Faculty Nominator: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology) "Does Poverty Cause Addiction? Comparing Experiences with Alcoholism and Substance Abuse by Social Class

Katrina Fandrich (Meteorology) / Faculty Nominator: Melissa Godek (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) "Examining Hurricane Stage Durations from 1980-2015"

Steven Formichelli (Science Education) / Faculty Nominator: Paul Bischoff (Secondary Education) "Creating and Testing the Utility of a Simple Laboratory Method to Quantitatively Measure Resveratrol Released into the Soil in Thickets of the Invasive Plant-Japanese Knotweed"

Thomas Franzem (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Daniel Stich (Biology) "Factors Impacting Amphibian Abundance in Anthropogenic Vernal Pools"

Sara Stathopoulos (Business Economics/Finance) / Faculty Nominators: Philip Sirianni & Charlene Foley-Deno (Economics, Finance & Accounting) "The Feasibility of Micro Hydropower: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Silver Creek Basin”

Strategic Allocation of Resources (StAR)

General Proposal Information

  1. Proposal Title: STUDENT RESEARCH & CREATIVE ACTIVITY: EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCESS
  2. Point Person and Contact Information: Submitted by: The College Senate Committee on Research Contacts:
    1. Florian Reyda, Chair, Committee on Research, Assoc. Prof., Biology Department, florian.reyda@oneonta.edu / x3719
    2. Kathy Meeker, Committee on Research member (ex officio), Director, Grants Development Office (GDO), kathy.meeker@oneonta.edu / x2632
  3. Department(s)/Unit(s): Committee on Research / Grants Development Office (Academic Affairs)
  4. Amount Requested: $75,000 total ($25,000 per year for 3 years)
  5. Proposal Summary (maximum 100 words): This proposal seeks to strengthen and grow student research and creative activity (CA) through new opportunities designed to: expose/engage students early in their college experience; attract students traditionally not well represented in such endeavors; support course-based integration of research/CA; and integrate opportunities into a wider range of disciplines. The proposal also seeks to enhance the visibility and appeal of student research/CA, and to more effectively engage faculty in facilitating and supervising applied learning activities. It is based on assessment of the existing Student Research & Creative Activity Grant program, and is designed to complement the current program.

Section I – Narrative

A. Proposal objectives and significance

The objective of this proposal is to strengthen and grow student research and creative activity (CA) by supporting “tiered” opportunities for faculty to expose students to such scholarly activity in meaningful ways early in their college careers, and to engage them in more advanced participation as they progress through graduation. Research conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) has demonstrated that applied learning experiences, including student research/CA, positively impact retention and degree completion. Such “hands on” learning experiences complement and reinforce academic coursework, and make persistence toward degree more likely by enabling students to see the relevance of their developing knowledge and skills as they progress through their academic programs. The AACU’s analyses further reveal that students benefit most from having at least two applied learning experiences, one of which should ideally be completed in their first two years of study, and that the value added by experiential learning is especially significant for students from historically underserved populations. (Kuh 2008; Kuh & O’Donnell 2013).

The current Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity funds opportunities for students to conduct independent research/CA, working individually with faculty and/or as part of a small research or CA team; the benefits to these students can be profound. However, an analysis of grant awards made during the past three years indicates a disciplinary imbalance in awards, with the majority of awards made to students with faculty sponsors in the School of Natural & Mathematical Sciences (64.3% vs. 9.5% in Arts & Humanities, .8% in Economics & Business, 4.8% in Education & Human Ecology, 20.6% in Social Science). This imbalance is also reflected in faculty sponsor distribution. Of 64 faculty who served as sponsors of projects funded by grants over the last three years, 30 sponsored 2+ projects, 16 sponsored 3+ projects, and 10 sponsored 4-6 projects (all from the Natural & Mathematical Sciences [8] or Social Science [2]). Further, over 80% of the students who receive funding are seniors (fall round) or rising seniors (spring round). The Committee on Research (RC) believes that freshmen and sophomore students as well as those who might be interested in, but are hesitant to approach faculty, are less likely to apply for funding through the grant program; and that faculty often hand-select high performing students for research/CA projects, despite studies indicating that such “high-impact” practices provide a “compelling extra benefit for students in groups that often have fared poorly in high education – selected minorities and students with lower test scores.” (Kuh & O’Donnell 2013). Further, the current grant program does not fund projects that are part of a regular course. Clearly, new initiatives must be implemented to reach a wider group and levels of students and to support more faculty from across disciplines to engage in meaningful interactions.

A 2010 AACU report by Brownell & Swaner identifies best practices for implementing high-impact activities and components for success specifically within undergraduate research programs, including the following three points: “Offer intentionally designed curricula that enhance students’ research skills and build those skills over time, including prior to intensive undergraduate research experiences.” “Provide opportunities for ‘real-life’ applications, whether through publication, presentations, or project implementation.” “Encourage faculty to provide mentoring, rather than just program oversight, and attend to the quality of the mentoring relationship.” This StAR proposal supports new options to engage more undergraduate students in research/CA through early exposure and enhanced mentoring. The “tiered” approach follows national best practices by supporting participation early in their academic careers. Following an early exposure (via the new funding tracks outlined below), students will subsequently be encouraged through advising and mentoring to undertake an independent research/CA project of greater depth (with a faculty member), in the hope that the early experience clarified particular interests. Students will more intentionally build on their work, in relation to their coursework and interactions with faculty. The following activities would be supported through StAR funding.

Classroom-based research/CA track. There are numerous courses that include a research or CA component which expose students to identifying objectives, methodology, literature review, significance/broader impacts, etc. “Methodology” implies more than simply methods, however. Integrating research/CA into coursework must include a consideration of the concepts and theories which underlie the methods. Classroom-based funding would be made available through an application process for activities that would enhance the research/CA element of a course. For example, class visits to historical or government archives, museums, special collections or artist studios would expose students to using secondary research/sources (a primary tool of faculty researchers/artists) not available on campus. Faculty could also apply for supplies/materials, software, etc. for intensive course-based projects with expenses above those covered by teaching budgets, for participation in field trips to conduct research, for publication costs for projects with student co-authors, or for guest expert speakers, for example. (This list is not exhaustive.)

Research/CA ‘shadowing’ track. A review of research related to the impact of undergraduate research by Lin et al. (2015) reports, “Individual mentoring emerges as an effective way to guide students and improve learning from research experiences. Activities that could help students benefit include discussion with mentors, particularly in group meetings where current research is discussed, guided opportunities to explore relevant research literature, …” With support from the StAR program, faculty will be incentivized to broaden their reach of student engagement in research/CA through a “shadowing” track, whereby a student with little to-no experience (i.e. primarily freshmen/sophomores) would join a faculty member’s research/ CA endeavor as an observer. This could take the form of a student joining a research group or working with an individual faculty member (sitting in on meetings, observing in the laboratory, conducting background research) or a beginning student shadowing/assisting an upperclassmen on his/her funded Student Research/CA Grant project, or joining a one-on-one or small group mentoring program with a faculty member whose research/CA agenda may not be conducive to direct student engagement in the activity (the student participant would benefit from learning first-hand about the process, progress, etc.). It is hoped the shadowing program would attract students who might not otherwise think of research/CA as an option in their college career, and to engage more faculty from various disciplines. This track would also better prepare students who choose to pursue an independent research/CA project later in their college experience.

Other activities – applying research/CA. The expanded program would be flexible so as to allow for opportunities that may not be included in the two above categories. Examples might include students working on a campus-based undergraduate research journal with a faculty advisor, students assisting faculty who edit/work on professional journals, non-course-based research field trips that might include a research shadow student (basically, other activities that expose students to the breadth, depth, and application of scholarly/creative activity).

B. Contribution to the STRATEGIC PLAN 2015: SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE, STRENGTH

Expansion of opportunities for students to learn about and participate in research/CA is directly aligned with many elements of the Strategic Plan 2015. With its tiered approach, the proposed program addresses Goal 1: Increase students’ engagement throughout their collegiate experience, specifically, [Objective C] to improve first-year student academic engagement, and [Objective D] to increase opportunities for students to be mentored. It also directly aligns with Goal 2: Promote inquiry, service, and scholarship, specifically [Objective E] to strengthen and grow student and faculty research and creative activity (also a priority for this round of StAR funding), including the Action Plan item to create additional incentives for faculty. The program will stimulate student engagement and support activities both inside and outside of the classroom. Faculty will be incentivized with support for course activities and/or stipends/ fellowships ranging from $100 to $300, depending on level of student engagement (observational, full independent research/CA). The proposal also aligns with other campus-based initiatives, including the Academic Master Plan, the Engaged Learning Award Program proposal (also part of the Strategic Plan), and the work of the Applied Learning Task Force.

C. Supporting data from assessment process / other evidence

In recent discussions, the RC addressed the issue of how to engage a wider and more diverse population of students in research and CA, as well as to broaden faculty interest; many of the ideas proposed in this application were part of these deliberations. In addition to analyzing data from six rounds of student grant applications/awards (see A, paragraph 2), two Committee members serve on the Applied Learning Task Force and have been informed by their interactions and work with the group. Additionally, a number of articles (cited earlier) have informed the development of the proposed plan, and indicate that the strategies proposed are best practices and will succeed in strengthening and growing student research.

D. How the activity will be assessed, using measurable, documented outcomes

The application and review process will ensure that funds are awarded to activities from across the disciplines that contribute to meeting the program goals. The GDO will maintain application/award data for the new initiatives, and will gather information from students who go on to apply to the Student Grant Program for higher level, independent research/CA projects related to their earlier exposure, preparation, and motivation. Additionally, faculty who apply for funds will be asked to review their proposed activity in relation to the five SUNY Criteria for Approved Applied Learning Activities, i.e. that the activity: is structured, intentional and authentic; requires preparation, orientation and training; must include monitoring and continuous improvement; requires structured reflection and acknowledgement; must be assessed and evaluated. (Not all activities will meet all criteria; but faculty should strive to where possible.)

E. Implementation strategy and timeline

In anticipation of a funding decision, the RC will continue discussions during spring 2017, and will develop application materials and guidelines. There will be three deadlines per semester for the new initiatives to allow for maximum flexibility and faculty engagement. If funded, information on the program will be posted to the RC website and disseminated via notices in the Daily Bulletin, the student and employee portals/myOneonta, and the Provost listserv. Additionally, RC members will reach out to individual departments to offer an orientation to the new program, and to faculty members from departments not represented on the RC to request their assistance in promoting the new opportunities. Funds will first be awarded for fall 2017.

F. Additional information to further justify the request

Works referenced.

Brownell, J. E. & Swaner, L. E. Five High-Impact Practices: Research on Learning Outcomes, Completion, and Quality. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010.

Kuh, G. D. High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2008.

Kuh, G. D. and O’Donnell, K. Ensuring Quality & Taking High-Impact Practices to Scale. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges & Universities, 2013.

Lin, M. C., Palmer, E., Baranger, A., Gerard, E. and Stone, E. Undergraduate Research Experiences: Impacts and Opportunities. Science Vol. 347, Issue 6222, 2015.

Submitted April 27, 2016 / Updated June 1, 2016

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Tracy Betsinger, Melissa Godek (on leave) Mette Harder (chair), Florian Reyda, Kathy Meeker (ex officio)


The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day.

A total of $56,350 was allocated to the student grants and awards programs for 2015/16 (see Table 1). As part of its outreach efforts, Committee members led evening ‘drop-in’ information sessions on the student grant process both semesters, held in the Hunt Union several weeks before each grant deadline. The fall 2015 session was very well attended (~20 students); the spring 2016 session was not well attended (1 student).

During the fall 2015 semester, the Committee received 33 applications requesting a total of $55,048 to review. A total of $38,464 in grants were awarded to support 28 student projects (with 32 student participants). For the spring 2016 grant round, the Committee received 14 submissions requesting $25,500 to review. A total of $17,834 in grants were awarded to 11 projects (all single authored proposals). In summary, 39 research/creative activity projects were funded in 2015/16, totaling $56,298. Successful proposals were submitted from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from creative art projects to research projects in the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities. A full listing of funded projects is included in Appendix 1 of this report.

Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program
Source Amount
College at Oneonta Foundation (income from unrestricted endowment) $49,000
Dr. Gary Holway Scientific Achievement Award fund (College Foundation) $4,350
Alumni Association $3,000
Total $56,350

The 2016 SRCA Day was held on April 20, featuring 134 student projects representing the work of over 180 students and 65 faculty sponsors. The SRCA Keynote Address, A Journey from Apprentice to Master: Science, Research, and Teaching was delivered by Dr. Kenneth R. Carter (class of 1985), Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. SRCA Day has become one of the signature events spotlighting student scholarly effort at SUNY Oneonta. The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office website.

Prior to SRCA Day, faculty sponsors were asked to nominate students presenters for the annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. A group of faculty and staff that included members of the Research Committee reviewed and ranked all nominations to name the finalists, this year totaling 13 (11 undergraduate students and 2 graduate students). On SRCA Day, these finalists presented to a panel of judges comprised of Emeritus Faculty (Drs. Jane Grastorf, Bruce Knauer, and William Pietraface). Following deliberation and ranking, five students were selected as awardees, and received $300 prizes (their faculty sponsors received $100). The remaining student finalists received Honorable Mention prizes of $100 each. Prizes are funded by the College at Oneonta Foundation through philanthropic gifts to the College. The five awardees made oral presentations at the final Faculty Convivium of the year on April 27, and were honored at the Academic Achievement Awards on May 4. A listing of finalists and awardees are included in Appendix 2 of this report.

APPENDIX 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2015/16 Award Recipients

Fall 2015 Awards

Rose Biggerstaff (Andrew Kahl, Theatre): Bare – A Pop Opera ($2,086)

Bridget Boland, Mark Crosby (James Ryder, Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics): Implementation of NAO into Communication-Based Therapies ($600)

Peter Booth (Les Hasbargen, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Drone Mapping without Ground Control Points using RTK ($1,770)

Daniel Bucci (Fred Zalatan & Tami LaPilusa, Biology): Identification of Bacteria in Otsego Lake using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technique ($1,350)

Nicholas Byrnes (Les Hasbargen, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Geomorphic Effects of Large Woody Debris Dams in Silver Creek ($1,150)

Bridget Chartrand, John Beach (Hugh Gallagher, Jr., Physics & Astronomy): What Makes a Spark? ($1,162)

Jordan Cole (Sallie Han, Anthropology): Observing Politeness in Children ($600)

Elsie Dedrick (Florian Reyda, Biology): Description of a New Species of Rhinebothridiian Tapeworm from Stingrays from Borneo ($1,420)

Marie Dowd (Nancy Bachman, Biology): Mouse Neuro 2a Cells: A Model for Cell Differentiation ($2,096)

Melissa Fine (Oscar Oberkircher, Human Ecology): FineBites Granola ($1,350)

Samantha Fontaine (Donna Vogler, Biology): Disease Assessment of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in New York State ($1,550)

Thomas Franzem (Dan Stich, Biology): Factors Impacting Amphibian Populations in Anthropogenic Vernal Pools

Anna Graziosi (June Tyler, Art): Ghost Stories ($600)

Lynne Haynes (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Genetic Diversity among Polydrusus sericeus (Schaller) in Otsego County, NY ($1,738)

Abigail Hogan (Wendy Lascell, Geography & Environmental Sustainability): Student Awareness of the Sustainability Initiatives at SUNY Oneonta ($1,000)

Emily LaLonde, Autumn Smith (Theresa Loomis, Human Ecology): Understanding the Barriers to Registered Dietitians Practicing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ($900)

Valerie Matedero (Keith Schillo, Biology): Effects of Short, High-Intensity and Longer, Low-Intensity Exercise on Metabolism ($2,100)

Kelsey McKeighan (Tracy Allen, Geography & Environmental Sustainability): Lake Atitlán: Securing Water, Sustaining Development ($737)

Jerrad Pacatte (Thomas Beal, Susan Goodier, Omar Dphrepaulezz, History): A Peculiar 'Picnic' – Revisiting the April 1878 Execution of Samuel Streenburgh ($950)

Colleen Parker [graduate student] (Kiyoko Yokota, Biology): Monitoring of Mercury in Catskill Region Fish ($1,600)

Aaron Phillips (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Assessing the Link between inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and C. difficile ($2,100)

Alexander Robillard [graduate student] (Donna Vogler, Biology): Identifying Temporal Changes in the Genetic Landscape of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in New York State ($1,600)

Alyssa Rothfuss (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): Genetic Analysis of Sisyridae ($2,100)

Michael Schonning (Kelly Gallagher, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Determination of the Oligomerization State of Endoplasmic Reticulum Membrane Protein Complex Subunit 8 [EMC8] ($1,600)

Tiffany Taylor (Fred Zalatan, Biology): Quantitative Analysis of Yeast Ty1 Retrotransposon Activity in Clathrin Mutants ($1,495)

Jessica Tyler (Sven Anderson, Art): The Art of the Poster ($1,400)

Jenna Vecchio (Kevin Gray, Art): The Artists Creation Myth ($750)

Xiaoyi Zeng, Joanne Wong (Jian Cui, Art): Little Monk ($1,520)

Spring 2016 Awards

Claire Anderson (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Examining How Amino Acids Impact Apoptosis during the Immune Response to Infection ($1,946)

Hailey Ahearn (Allan Green, Chemistry & Biochemistry): Regulation of ATGL by Insulin and Glucose ($2,070)

Samantha Ayers (Keith Brunstad, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Origin and Eruptive Evolution of the Tieton Andesite Lava Flow – The Making of the World's Longest Andesitic Lava Flow ($2,082)

Kimberly Cushman (Michael Faux, Physics & Astronomy): Cosmic Axion Spin Precession Experiment [CASPEr] ($1,900)

Margaret Doolin [graduate student] (Florian Reyda, Biology): Molecular Prospecting for Species of the Thorny-headed Worm, Neoechinorhynchus ($2,100)

Andrew Edwards (Elizabeth Seale, Sociology): The Impact of Gender, Race, and Class on Networking ($900)

Haley Fallon (Maria Montoya, Foreign Languages and Literatures): Decentralization in Columbia: Life after Healthcare Reform ($1,300)

Lyndsey Farrar (Leigh Fall, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Trilobite Body Size and Abundance Along a Depth Gradient: Trenton Group, Middle Ordovician, Central New York ($1,045)

Kate Moore (Keith Brunstad, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Chemical and Mineralogical Control on Two Goat Rocks Volcano Lava Flow Volumes, Effusion Rates, and Lengths South-central Cascade Range, Washington ($1,600)

Emilie Richard (Pragnyadipta Sen, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences): Environmental Baseline Study for Managed Sediment Release from the Lower Reservoir, Oneonta Creek, Oneonta, NY ($1,291)

Patrick Wilson (Joshua Nollenberg, Physics & Astronomy): P.C.O.S.S. (Photography of Celestial Objects in our Solar System ($1,600)

APPENDIX 2

2016 College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity

AWARDEES

Allyson Church (Psychology) / Faculty Nominator: Andrew Gallup (Psychology) "The effects of intranasal oxytocin on contagious yawning"

Elsie Dedrick (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Florian Reyda (Biology) "Examination of a new species of Rhinebothriidean cestode from Dasyatis margaritella (Pearl stingray)"

Janine Militello (Psychology) / Faculty Nominator: Andrew Gallup (Psychology) "The effect of oxytocin on contagious yawning in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)"

William O’Connell (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Donna Vogler (Biology) "Wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) annual ring comparison"

Gwendolyn Temple (Environmental Science) / Faculty Nominator: Tyra Olstad (Geography & Environmental Sustainability) "Influence of Shintoism on environmental management and perceptions of Lake Biwa, Japan"

HONORABLE MENTION

Peter Booth (Geography) / Faculty Nominator: Les Hasbargen (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) "Improving UAV terrain model accuracy using real time kinematics"

Kaitlynn Connington (Earth Science Education) / Faculty Nominator: Paul Bischoff (Secondary Education) "Are there differences in the numbers and diversity of naked amoebae in Japanese Knotweed and noninvaded control sites?"

Samantha Fontaine (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Donna Vogler (Biology) "Disease assessment of the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in New York State"

Luke Gervase (MS, Lake Management) / Faculty Nominator: Willard Harman (Biology) "Millsite Lake: A case study of aquatic plant management"

Alejandro Reyes (MS, Lake Management) / Faculty Nominator: Kiyoko Yokota (Biology) "Survey of Brant Lake's zooplankton assemblage and early detection of aquatic invasive species"

Emilie Richard (Geology) / Faculty Nominator: Tsitsi McPherson (Biology) "SUNY Oneonta ecological footprint assessment survey"

Neil Rosenfeld (Chemistry) / Faculty Nominator: Jacqueline Bennett (Chemistry & Biochemistry) "Greener synthesis of electroluminescent compounds and metal ion detection in water samples"

Erika Stopler (Chemistry) / Faculty Nominator: Jacqueline Bennett (Chemistry & Biochemistry) "Greener synthesis of thiosemicarbazones and the development of a qualitative tyrosinase inhibition assay"

Submitted April 22, 2015

(revised August 26, 2015)

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Kelly Gallagher, Melissa Godek (chair), Mette Harder, Toke Knudsen, Florian Reyda, Kathy Meeker (ex officio)


The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day.

A total of $59,250 was allocated to the student grants and awards programs for 2014/15 (see Table 1). As part of outreach efforts, Committee members led two workshops each semester on the student grant process, which were well attended by potential grant applicants.

During the fall 2014 semester, the Committee awarded a total of $36,405 in grants to support 28 student projects (with a total of 35 student participants). Successful proposals were submitted from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from creative projects in art and music to research projects in both the natural and social sciences. A full listing of funded projects is included in Appendix 1 of this report. The Committee is currently completing review of the spring 2015 semester grant applications (17 submissions requesting $21,585); an amended report will be submitted once awards for this round are finalized.

Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program
Source Amount
College at Oneonta Foundation (income from unrestricted endowment) $48,000
Dr. Gary Holway Scientific Achievement Award fund (College Foundation) $4,350
Alumni Association $3,000
LEAF (underwritten student fellowships for Prof. Zians’ project) $1,200
Prior fund balance allocation for Awards for Excellence prizes $2,700
Total $59,250

The 2015 SRCA Day, held on April 16, continues to thrive; SRCA Day has become one of the signature events spotlighting student scholarly effort at SUNY Oneonta. This year, there were 160 student participants involved in 124 projects with 71 faculty sponsors from 24 different department/programs. The SRCA Keynote Address, SUNY Oneonta – A Lot Closer to Broadway Than You Think, was delivered by Hal Luftig (class of 1979), four-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer.

The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office website.

Prior to the day’s program, faculty sponsors nominated students for the fifth annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. A group of faculty and staff that included members of the Research Committee selected finalists, and awardees were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of Emeritus Faculty (Drs. Jane Grastorf, Bruce Knauer, and William Pietraface). Five students were selected as awardees and will receive $300 prizes; their faculty mentors will receive $100, and seven student nominee finalists receiving Honorable Mention awards will receive $100 prizes. Prizes are funded by the College at Oneonta Foundation through philanthropic gifts to the College. Awardees and finalists will be honored at a reception on Monday, May 4. Finalists and awardees are listed in Appendix 2.

APPENDIX 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2014/15 Award Recipients

Fall 2014 Awards

Kaitlyn Alongi (Kirsten Hilpert, Human Ecology): Effect of Dairy Foods on Total, LDL, and HDL Cholesterol

John-Anthony Barnas (Timothy Newton, Music): Stylistic Comparison of Mallarmé Settings by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel

Katje Benoit (Carolyn Nersesian, Biology): Barrier Impact of Roadways on White Tailed Deer

Sara-June Bouillon (Donna Vogler, Biology): Invasive Plant Survey, Replacement and Removal Project

Hope Costa (William Wilkerson, Political Science): The Politics of Dissents and Concurrences on the U.S. Supreme Court: An Application to the Roberts Court

Jansen Costello (Devin Castendyk, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences & Tracy Allen, Geography): Arsenic and Trace Metals in Common Pesticides in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Eric Davis [graduate student] (Willard Harman, Biology): Development of Effective Protocols for the Decontamination of Aquaculture Haul Trucks Exposed to Zebra Mussels without Using Formalin

Kathryn Forti (Florian Reyda, Biology): Description of a New Species of Tapeworm of Stingrays from Northern Coastal Australia

Tegan Fox, Melissa Haig, Taylor Zelka (Toke Knudsen, Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics): Mathematics at the Oneonta Normal School 1893-1945: Articles from The Oneontan and The Pen Dragon

Kelly Garham (Melissa Godek, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences): Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation Teleconnection on Minimum Temperature in New York

Matthew Hartwell (Brian Lowe, Sociology): Topography of Hashtag Activism

Nathan Heller (Florian Reyda, Biology): Investigation of Damage Caused by a Thorny-headed Worm Parasite in White suckers

Zach Horowitz, Garret Abrams, Brian Reeves, William Murphy (James Zians & Fanli Jia, Psychology): Attitudes and Concerns of Parents Living in Otsego County about Local Youth Risk Issues [student fellowships funded through LEAF]

Renee Karr (Brenda Seery, Human Ecology): Gender Neutral Restroom Opinion Survey

Stefanie Lewis (Keith Brunstad, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences): Crystallization History of the 1 Ma Tieton andesite Lava Flow, Washington, USA

Christopher Linkletter (Keith Brunstad, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences): Petrology and Geochemistry of a Transect Across the Marcy Anorthosite Massif and New Russia Gneiss Complex Contact Zone, Northeastern Adirondack Highlands of NY

Christine LoFaso (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Activation of STAT Transcription Factors during C. difficile Infection

Stefan Mirvil (Sven Anderson, Art): Subtlety of Motion

Adam Myer (Fred Zalatan, Biology): Identification of Host Factors Involved in the Ty1 Transposon of Baker's Yeast

Jordan Perry (Brenda Seery, Human Ecology): The College Hook-Up Culture's Effects on the Emotional Well-Being of College Women

Joseph Perry (Jennifer Withington, Biology): Allelochemical Transport by Two Species of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi

Hunter Reed (Mette Harder, History): The French Republic vs. The Friend of the People: Marat on Trial

Alexander Robillard [graduate student] (Donna Vogler, Biology): Determining the Status of the Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) in Central New York

Kevin Sutton, Marvin Rodriguez, Anthony Nichols (Toke Knudsen, Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics): Word Frequencies in Theatrical Plays

Christopher Teter [graduate student] (Sean Robinson, Biology): Forest Impact Analysis of Naturalized Population of Syringa reticulata in New Lebanon Center, New York

Jacquelyn Victoria (Sven Anderson, Art): Crochet as an Exploration of the Human Bust

Jessica Williams (Nancy Bachman, Biology): Construction of a Nuclear Localization Mutant of Heat Shock Factor 1 Beta Isoform

Jillian Young (Melissa Godek, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences): Developing a Precipitation Climatology for Central New York

Spring 2015 Awards

Emily Baskind, Nicolas Capra (Trudy Thomas-Smith, Chemistry and Biochemistry): Determining the Abundance of Triclosan in Silver Creek

Emily Berezowski (Jeffrey Heilveil, Biology): RAD Tag Sequencing of Nigronia serricornis (Say) On and Off Reservoirs in NYS

Allyson Church, Janine Militello, Lexington Swartwood (Andrew Gallup, Psychology): The Influence of Oxytocin on Contagious Yawning in Humans (Homo sapiens) and Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Elizabeth Clifton (Donna Vogler, Biology): Seed Dispersal by Wood Turtles (Gylptemys insculpta) in Central New York

Brendan Cross (Sen Zhang, Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics): Autonomous Quadcoptor Navigation to Specified GPS Coordinates

Michael Engesser, Nicholas Tait, Kimberly Cushman (Joshua Nollenberg, Physics and Astronomy): Methods of Spectral Analysis in C++ (MOSAIC)

Elaine Herron (Andrew Gallup, Psychology): Exploring Empathic Capabilities in the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Benjamin Hultman, Erin Avery (Heike Geisler, Chemistry and Biochemistry): Graphene Growth on Copper Surfaces

Josh Louden, Patrick Wilson (Joshua Nollenberg, Physics and Astronomy): Searching the Outer Solar System for Trans-Neptunian Objects

Madylyn Nicolini (Thomas Beal, History & Alex Thomas, Sociology): The Impact of Wineries and Alcohol Tourism on Long Island's North Fork

Alejandro Juan Reyes [grad], Sarah Newtown [u/g] (Kiyoko Yokota, Biology): Early Detection of Aquatic Invasive Species in Brant Lake, NY

Emilie Richard (Tsitsi McPerson, Biology & Philip Sirianni, Economics, Finance and Accounting): SUNY Oneonta Ecological Footprint Assessment Survey

Sara Stuart (Jill Fielhaber, Biology): Assessing Cell Death During C. difficile infection and the Role of IFNb

Cassidy Wachtel (Melissa Godek, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences): Examining Pacific and Atlantic Hurricane Stage Duration and Length Since 1980 Meteorology

APPENDIX 2

2015 College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity

AWARDEES

John-Anthony Barnas (Music) / Faculty Nominator: Timothy Newton (Music) Stylistic Comparison of Mallarmé Song Settings by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel

Matthew Hartwell (Sociology) / Faculty Nominator: Brian Lowe (Sociology) Topography of Hashtag Activism

Nathan Heller (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Florian Reyda (Biology) The Histopathology of Catostomus commersoni (White Sucker) Infected with Pomphorhynchus bulbocolli (Acanthocephala)

Christopher Teter (Biology, MS) / Faculty Nominator: Sean Robinson (Human Ecology) Another Naturalizing Exotic Tree: Populations of Syringa reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac) in New York

Micaelina Velardi (Theatre) / Faculty Nominator: Patrice Macaluso (Theatre) Design and Fabrication of Masks and Puppets for Nagamandala

HONORABLE MENTION

Michael Alavanja (Geography) / Faculty Nominator: Tracy Allen (Geography/Environmental Sciences) Developing a Comprehensive Public Utilities GIS Database for Oneonta, New York

Danielle Dragotta (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Jacqueline Bennett (Chemistry and Biochemistry) Synthesis of Thiosemicarbazones Using Green Chemistry

Victoria Gander (Elementary Education/Spanish) / Faculty Nominator: María Montoya (Foreign Languages and Literatures A Dollar A Day)

Joseph Raguzin (Geography) / Faculty Nominator: Tracy Allen (Geography/Environmental Sciences) A Comprehensive Guide to the Environmentally Sustainable Initiatives on the Campus of SUNY Oneonta

Hunter Reed (History) / Faculty Nominator: Mette Harder (History) The French Republic vs. the Friend of the People: Marat on Trial

Emilie Richard (Geology) / Faculty Nominator: Tsitsi McPherson (Biology) SUNY Oneonta Ecological Footprint Assessment Survey

Jounia Sara Saint-Juste (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Nancy Bachman (Biology) Zinc Ion Activation of Heat Shock Proteins in Mouse NIH3T3 Cells

Submitted May 28, 2014

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Kelly Gallagher (chair), Melissa Godek, Mette Harder, Toke Knudsen, Kathy Meeker (ex officio) Student Members: Emma Farison and Emily Macintosh.

The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day.

This year, the Committee awarded a total of $71,960 in grants to support 46 student projects (with a total of 56 student participants). In addition, a $5,000 allocation from the SUNY STEM Undergraduate Research Program was awarded through the SUNY Oneonta Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program to support two summer undergraduate fellows conducting research with faculty sponsors. A complete list of funding sources and amounts are provided in the table below. Successful proposals were submitted from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from creative projects in art and foreign languages to research projects in both the natural and social sciences. A full listing of funded projects is included in Appendix 1 of this report.

Funding sources for the Student Research and Creative Activity Grant Program
Source Amount
College at Oneonta Foundation (unrestricted endowment) $47,000
Holway Fund $4,050
Alumni Association $3,000
Docent Press (underwritten fellowships) $900
Prior fund balance allocation $17,010
2014 SUNY STEM Undergraduate Research Program $5,000
Total $76,960

Several changes were made to this year’s grant program, including policy changes regarding student fellowships, the inauguration of a fellowship award for faculty mentors, and separate application forms and guidelines for Research projects and Creative Activity projects. These were communicated to faculty and students via program announcements and presentations at meetings with the department chairs of the schools of Arts and Humanities; Economics and Business; Education and Human Ecology; and Natural and Mathematical Sciences (scheduling conflicts prevented meeting with the School of Social Science). During the Fall 2013 semester, Committee members also lead several workshops on the student grant process.

The 2014 SRCA Day, held on March 26, has continued to thrive. This year, there were 191 student participants (30% increase) involved in 127 projects (21% increase) with 73 faculty sponsors (24% increase). The SRCA Keynote Address was delivered by Chuck Bogosta (class of 1980), Executive VP, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and President, UPMC International, and Commercial Services Division and UPMC Cancer Center. The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office website.

Prior to the day ’s program, faculty sponsors nominated students for the fourth annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. A group that included members of the Research Committee selected finalists, and awardees were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of representatives of the College Foundation and the Alumni Association. Five undergraduate students and two graduate students were selected as awardees and received $300 prizes; five additional students received honorable mention awards of $100. Prizes were funded by the College at Oneonta Foundation through philanthropic gifts to the College. Awardees and finalists were honored at a reception on Wednesday, May 7. The list of finalists and awardees is in Appendix 2.

APPENDIX 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity - 2013/14 Award Recipients

Fall 2013 Undergraduate Student Projects

Austin Borden / Faculty Sponsor: Florian Reyda (Biology) A morphological study of three species of the spiny nematode, Spinitectus

Katherine Carpenter / Faculty Sponsor: Jason Smolinski (Physics and Astronomy) Assessing the viability of the SUNY Oneonta observatory for extrasolar planet observations.

Erica Darpino / Faculty Sponsor: Florian Reyda (Biology) Structural analysis of the parasitic trematodes of snails in Otsego County.

Emily Davidson / Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Withington (Biology)
Biochar impacts on vegetables grown in local soils

Kayla Earls / Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) Assessing dispersal distance in a potential invasive agriculture pest, the winter moth

Troy Fishman / Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Withington (Biology)
Green roof technology-Importance of nitrogen fixing plants

Elisabeth Jeffrey / Faculty Sponsor: Maurice Odago (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Imidazolinium based ligands for asymmetric catalysis

Amber Johnson / Faculty Sponsor: Kevin Gray (Art)
Educational advertisement

Nicholas Juliano / Faculty Sponsor: Jason Smolinski (Physics and Astronomy) Constructing and utilizing a flat-­‐field illumination device for telescopic image correction

Min-­‐young Kim / Faculty Sponsor: Julia Blau (Psychology) The differences in the structure of the perception of events between an individualistic culture and a collectivistic culture

Emily Knapp / Faculty Sponsor: Brian Lowe (Sociology)
The political economy of Walmart in Central New York

Kajee Kodrich-­‐Quick / Faculty Sponsors: Sunil Labroo and James Michels (Physics and Astronomy)
Magneto-optic thin film research

Alexander Lawrence / Faculty Sponsors: Sean Robinson (Biology) and Trevor Fuller (Geography)
Bryophyte colonization and dispersal

Ashley Ly / Faculty Sponsor: Jacqueline Bennett (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Solution-solid state comparison of imine fluorescence

Tegan Mansouri, Rachel Schappert, Kaitlyn Alongi / Faculty Sponsor: Shih-­‐ming Hu (Human Ecology)
Developing low fat cheesecake by using yogurt as a fat replacer

Anthony Marmet / Faculty Sponsor: Nancy Bachman (Biology)
A fluorescent green tag for heat shock factor 1 gamma

Melissa Minerva, Amanda Orsino / Faculty Sponsors:Toke Knudsen (Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics), Heather Beach (Milne Library)
Collections of American mathematics textbooks

Armond Minor / Faculty Sponsor: Allan Green (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Mechanisms of curcumin inhibition of glucose uptake

Seamus Murray / Faculty Sponsor: Heike Geisler (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Growth studies of graphene on Cu (111) by chemical vapor deposition

Adam Myer / Faculty Sponsors: Fred Zalatan, Tami LaPilusa (Biology) Identification of bacteria in Otsego Lake using DNA sequencing technology

Colleen Parker, David Snyder / Faculty Sponsor: Kiyoko Yokota (Biology) Mercury concentrations in Walleye fish tissue relative to length and weight: Goodyear Lake, Otsego County, NY

Alejandro Rojas, Audrey Feirstein, William Helicher / Faculty Sponsor: Ho Hon Leung (Sociology)
Student perception of traveling and studying abroad

Michelle Rotunno / Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology)
How is social media affecting us?

Bonnie Siry / Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology)
Tweeting on women's health

Jeromy Wegrzyn / Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) Genetic relatedness of the daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) bordering the Hudson River

Annie Yoo / Faculty Sponsor: David Wong (Biology) Growth rates of invasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Otsego Lake, New York

Fall 2013 Graduate Student Projects

Shane Pickering / Faculty Sponsors: David Wong and Paul Lord (Biology) Effects of environmental variables on the maturation and spawning of Zebra Mussels (Dressena polymorpha) in Otsego Lake, NY

Spring 2014 Undergraduate Student Projects

Laura Adams, Shannon Bergstrom, Alanna Bergstrom / Faculty Sponsors: Sean Robinson (Biology), Tracy Allen (Geography/Environmental Science)
Sustainable greenhouse producing crops year round

Kaitlyn Castle, Stephanie Spellman / Faculty Sponsor: Toke Knudsen (Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics)
Edith Sturgess Notebook

Yasmin Dasilva / Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Nersesian (Biology) The role of carbohydrates and proteins on mitigating toxic constraints of plant defense compounds against herbivory

Illari Delgado / Faculty Sponsor: Florian Reyda (Biology) Local species of the genus Eubothrium and the species Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in northern freshwater habitats

Alyssa Dubbs / Faculty Sponsor: Melissa Godek (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
The impact of meteorological storms and events on human injury and mortality

Victoria Gander / Faculty Sponsors: Gustavo Arango, Maria Montoya (Foreign Languages & Literatures)
A dollar a day

Christal Haasis / Faculty Sponsor: David Wong (Biology) Assessing zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) survival rates under different seasonal environmental conditions at Otsego Lake, New York

Phillip Hill / Faculty Sponsor: Keith Schillo (Biology) Assessing energy metabolism in male and female athletes at rest and following exercise

Daniel King / Faculty Sponsor: Les Hasbargen (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) Ablation conditions of glaciers, and the effects of ablation at the ice margin of the Juneau icefield

Robert LaMay / Faculty Sponsor: Jill Fielhaber (Biology) Assessing production of the interferon-­‐ β in a mouse model of C. difficile infection

Nanhee Lee / Faculty Sponsor: Brett Heindl (Political Science) The internalization of global governance: A focus on internet governance

Rachel Llanes / Faculty Sponsor: Thomas Beal (History) Alcohol in the urban shadow: The temperance movement on Long Island 1800 to 1860

Casey McManus / Faculty Sponsor: Pragnyadipta Sen (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) Strain analysis, sequence of faulting and 3-­‐D geometry of the Feura Bush Quarry duplex in Selkirk, NY

Ian McMullen / Faculty Sponsor: Pragnyadipta Sen (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
Strain analysis of deformed duplex in the Feura Bush Quarry in Selkirk, NY

Brandon Panensky, Crystal Wyllie / Faculty Sponsor: Tracy Allen (Geography/Environmental Sciences)
Bluebird conservation

Frederick Sullivan / Faculty Sponsor: Thomas Beal (History) Where I come from: A historical analysis of transportation’s impact on a New York town

Derek Walling / Faculty Sponsor: Les Hasbargen (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)
Building a geochemical database of bedrock across Otsego County

Camera Walrond / Faculty Sponsor: Michael Koch (Philosophy) The purpose of universality in science and how it is implemented through international, non-­‐profit organizations

Spring 2014 Graduate Student Projects

Christopher Teter / Faculty Sponsor: Sean Robinson (Biology) Analysis of naturalized population of Syringa reticulata in New Lebanon Center, New York

SUNY Oneonta Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program Projects

Christopher Linkletter / Faculty Sponsor: Keith Brunstad (Earth Sciences) Petrology and geochemistry of a transect across the Marcy anorthosite massif and New Russia gneiss complex contact zone, northeastern Adirondack Highlands of New York

Yasmin DaSilva / Faculty Sponsor: Carolyn Nersesian (Biology) The role of carbohydrates and proteins on mitigating toxic constraints of plant defense compounds against herbivore

APPENDIX 2

2014 College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity

AWARDEES

Undergraduate students:

Austin Borden (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Florian Reyda (Biology)
A Survey of the Genus Spinitectus (Nematoda) of Otsego Lake, New York

Lynn Golan (Art and Philosophy) / Faculty Nominator: Rhea Nowak (Art) It's in Our Hands: An Art Initiative for the Community

Elisabeth Jeffrey (Chemistry) / Faculty Nominator: Maurice Odago (Chemistry & Biochemistry) New Approaches to N-­‐Heterocyclic Carbene Synthesis

Victoria Panyu (Fashion & Textiles) / Faculty Nominator: Hyejune Park (Human Ecology)
The Second Generation of E-commerce: Online-only Apparel Retailers' E-tailing Strategies

Rebecca Russell (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Florian Reyda (Biology) (1) A New Species of Tapeworm (Class: Cestoda) from Stingrays of the Indo-­‐Pacific that Demonstrates Relaxed Host Specificity; and (2) Gastropods and Fish as Hosts of Digenetic Trematodes in Otsego Lake and Nearby Waters

Graduate students:

Matthew Dami (MS, Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Sean Robinson (Biology)
Animal-Facilitated Dispersal of Bryophyte Spores in Northeastern U.S. Forests

Elli Mazeres (MS, Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Sean Robinson (Biology) Epiphytic Bryophyte Diversity: A Comparison between Angiosperm and Gymnosperm Host Species

HONORABLE MENTION

Danielle Dragotta (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Jacqueline Bennett (Chemistry & Biochemistry)
Synthesis of Thiosemicarbazones Using Green Chemistry

Mollie Goodwin (MS, Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) Gene Flow and Population Sustainability of a Native Bee Species in Otsego County, NY

Alexander Lawrence (Environmental Science) / Faculty Nominator: Sean Robinson (Biology)
Measuring Bryophyte Colonization Patterns

Samantha Myruski (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Nancy Bachman (Biology) Role of Mouse Heat Shock Transcription Factor Isoforms in Metal Ion Stress Pathways

Bonnie Siry (Sociology) / Faculty Nominator: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology) Tweeting on Women's Health: The Skinny on Health in Social Media

Submitted May 6, 2012

Committee members: Thomas Beal, Kelly Gallagher (chair), Melissa Godek, Mette Harder, Jen-Ting Wang, Kathy Meeker (ex officio) Student Members: Michelle Johnson and Christine Merton

The main objective of the Committee on Research is to encourage student research and creative activity on campus and to enhance that aspect of the educational mission of the College. The Committee sponsors the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, and supports Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Day.

This year, the Committee awarded a total of $44,715 in grants to support 36 student projects (with a total of 55 student participants). Due to the number of quality graduate student proposals and the availability of additional funds, the Committee requested and was granted permission from the College Foundation to exceed the 10% allowed for graduate student projects.

In addition to this year’s $42,100 distribution from the College at Oneonta Foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment, the Program benefitted from $3,950 from the Holway fund, $3,000 from the Alumni Association, and $5,000 from SUNY’s “Enhancing STEM Research Experiences for SUNY Undergrads” program. Successful proposals came from a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from creative projects in theatre and fashion, to research projects in both the natural and social sciences, to some very exciting interdisciplinary projects. A full listing of funded projects is included in Appendix 1 of this report.

The 2013 SRCA Day, held on April 23, has continued to thrive. This year, there were 147 student participants involved in 105 projects with 59 faculty sponsors. The SRCA Keynote Address was delivered by Joan Rolf (class of 1976), Assistant Director for International Relations in the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President. The full program, including student project abstracts, is available on the Grants Development Office website.

Prior to the Day’s program, faculty sponsors nominated students for the third annual College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity. Finalists were selected by a group that included members of the Research Committee, and awardees were chosen by a panel of judges that included representatives of the College Foundation and the Alumni Association (including two SUNY Oneonta Professor Emeritus). Awardees and finalists will be honored at a reception on Thursday, May 9. The list of finalists and awardees is in Appendix 2.

APPENDIX 1

Student Grant Program for Research & Creative Activity – 2012/13 Award Recipients

Fall 2012 Undergraduate Student Projects

Anthony Baum / Faculty Sponsor: Melissa Godek (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Linking synoptic scale weather over North America to the formation of windstorms over the North Atlantic

Anthony Beyers / Faculty Sponsor: John Relethford (Anthropology) Paleoenvironmental changes in East Africa and the transition to the genus Homo

Eric Coe / Faculty Sponsors: David Wong, Paul Lord (Biology /Biological Field Station-BFS) Canadarago Lake steward, Otsego County, New York

Danielle Denny, Brittany Ciardiello, Jennifer Funes / Faculty Sponsor: Charlene Christie (Psychology) Media’s impact on hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes

Anna Downey, Chelsea Krieg / Faculty Sponsor: Martha Growdon (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Would you drink the well water? The petrographic and geochemical evidence for arsenic in the bedrock on Matinicus Island, Maine

Melissa Erickson / Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology) Examining slut-bashing among college students

Nicole Goben / Faculty Sponsor: Kristen Hilpert (Human Ecology) The effect of mobile phone use on stress, sleep and eating awareness in college students

Emily Harrington / Faculty Sponsor: Kristen Hilpert (Human Ecology) Effects of dairy foods on insulin resistance

Stephanie Mullen / Faculty Sponsor: Ho Hon Leung (Sociology) The identity of SUNY Oneonta: exploration through the lens of architecture

Colleen Parker, Myles Moore, Stephen Dechon / Faculty Sponsor: Shasta Marrero (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Sources of mercury in Central New York

Shelby Zemken / Faculty Sponsor: Gina Keel (Political Science) Waste reduction demonstration at SUNY Oneonta

Fall 2012 Graduate Student Projects

Shannon O’Neill / Faculty Sponsors: Willard Harman, David Wong (Biology/BFS) Finding the optimal concentrations of potassium permanganate and EarthTec to control Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) for the Cooperstown water treatment plant

Christine Picucci / Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) The recolonization of New York State by Acroneuria carolinensis (Banks) after the Wisconsin glaciation

Spring 2013 Undergraduate Student Projects

Adetunji Idris Adesina, Brianna McEvoy / Faculty Sponsor: Trudy Thomas-Smith (Chemistry & Biochemistry) Investigation of the photochemical reactions of an organic UV-filter

Jaewon Bang / Faculty Sponsor: Hyejune Park (Human Ecology) The second generation of e-commerce: online-only fashion retailers’ e-tailing strategies

Angelina Burley, Christopher Mark, Serena Sackett / Faculty Sponsor: Michael Worrall (Psychology) Evaluation and comparison of two methods of teaching observational coding to undergraduate psychology majors

Anita Burns, Caroline Curtis, Kayleigh Melite, Jamie Pitter / Faculty Sponsor: Andrew Kahl (Theatre) Identity Play Reading Series

Deanna Caracciolo / Faculty Sponsor: Donna Vogler (Biology) Assessing the invasion front of European marsh thistle (Cirsium polustre) in Central New York

Benjamin Coyle / Faculty Sponsors: David Wong and Paul Lord (Biology/BFS) Biofouling of invasive Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) on Cooperstown water treatment plant’s water intake and pipe

Ben Dalecki / Faculty Sponsor: Michael Brown (Psychology) Creativity, sexuality, and the 2D:4D ratio

Brittany Decker, Dominick DeNofio, Rebecca Zopf / Faculty Sponsor: Charlene Christie (Psychology) What is hidden can still hurt: concealable stigma, social anxiety, and stereotype endorsement

Michael Elliot, Zach Rose / Faculty Sponsor: James Zians (Psychology) Establishing reliability and validity on five state pivot measures: anger, sadness, anxiety, excitement and blaming (e.g. external attributions)

Mathew Frankel / Faculty Sponsors: Keith Brunstad (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), Fred Zalatan (Biology) Berkley pit water bacterial growth and biomineralization

Lynn Golan / Faculty Sponsor: Rhea Nowak (Art) ArtShare: An art project initiative for the community

Kaylee Herzog, Rebecca Russell / Faculty Sponsor: Florian Reyda (Biology/BFS) Description of a new tapeworm species from the White nose Whip Ray of Borneo

Felicia Magnan / Faculty Sponsor: Irene McManus (English) The womb: a look on the effects of homelessness on the mental health and self-esteem of minority single mothers

Heather Matthews / Faculty Sponsor: Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs (Secondary Education) Flight: a longitudinal case study to prove effectiveness of novel instruction for student participators during and after methods

Marvin Rodriguez, Susanne Salce, Robert Muth / Faculty Sponsor: Sen Zhang (Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics) Assembling and using a parallel computing cluster system

Lauren Shore, Emily Moore / Faculty Sponsor: Allan Green (Chemistry & Biochemistry) The effects of curcumin on glucose uptake and lactate release in sodium vanadate and hydrogen peroxide treated adipocytes

Greg Talamini, Deanna Caracciolo / Faculty Sponsors: Tom Horvath (Biology), Tyra Olstad (Geography) Compost project extension and product analysis

Spring 2013 Graduate Student Projects

Amanda Cochran / Faculty Sponsor: Keith Schillo (Biology) Does addiction to high-calorie sweeteners promote alcohol addiction in mice?

Matthew Dami / Faculty Sponsor: Sean Robinson (Biology) Animal-facilitated dispersal of mosses in Northeastern U.S. forests

Elli Edelstein / Faculty Sponsor: Sean Robinson (Biology) Bryophyte flora of Delaware County

Mollie Goodwin / Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) Genetic diversity of carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica [L.]) in New York State

Christine Picucci / Faculty Sponsor: Jeffrey Heilveil (Biology) Indirect effects of urbanization on gene flow in the Perlid stonefly, Acroneuria carolinensis (Banks)

Kate Schultz / Faculty Sponsor: Fred Zalatan (Biology) Fatty acid uptake in bacteria: genes, proteins, and inhibitors

APPENDIX 2

2013 College at Oneonta Foundation Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity

AWARDEES

Mathew Frankel (Geology) / Faculty Nominator: Keith Brunstad (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Biomineralization of Gold and Heavy Metals from Mine Waste by Microbial Species and Biofilms

Nicole Goben (Dietetics) / Faculty Nominator: Kirsten Hilpert (Human Ecology) The Effect of Mobile Phone Use on Stress, Sleep and Eating Awareness in College Students

Kasey Heiser (Anthropology) / Faculty Nominator: Cynthia Klink (Anthropology) Do Empires Control Natural Resources? A Nasca Case Study

Chelsea Krieg (Geology) / Faculty Nominator: Martha Growdon (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Would You Drink the Water? A Structural, Petrographic, and Geochemical Analysis of Arsenic Content of Drinking Water Wells of Matinicus Island, Maine

Devin McShane (Biology) / Faculty Nominator: Vicky Lentz (Biology) The Immune Response of the American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) to Glochidia of the Eastern Elliptio (Elliptio complanata) Mussel

HONORABLE MENTION

Melissa Erickson (Sociology) / Faculty Nominator: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology) Slut Shaming Among College Students

Rebecca Goldstein (Child and Family Studies) / Faculty Nominator: Karen Joest (Human Ecology) Community Partnering for Youth At-Risk: It Really Does take a Village

Diane Mancini (Spanish) / Faculty Nominator: Sallie Han (Anthropology) English is My Language: The Generationally Defined Linguistic and Cultural Identities of the Raizal People of San Andrés, Colombia

Myles Moore (Water Resources) / Faculty Nominator: Shasta Marrero (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) Presence of Mercury in Lakes and Rivers in Central New York

Laura Obernesser (Sociology) / Faculty Nominator: Elizabeth Seale (Sociology) Motherhood Ideologies Among Low Income Women in Rural New York

Randouth Palmer (Anthropology) / Faculty Nominator: Cynthia Klink (Anthropology) Utilizing Experimental Use-Wear Analysis as an Aid for Identifying Artifact Functions at the Pine Lake Archaeological Site

Introduction

This report is in response to the following Center for Academic Excellence Resolution, passed by the College Senate on September 26, 2011:

  • Whereas, the 2010 Strategic Plan of the SUNY Oneonta states that a goal of the College is to, Promote a learning-centered environment that facilitates excellence in teaching, research, and creative activity; and;
  • Whereas, the first action item listed under this goal is that the College, Explore the need for and establishment of a center that enhances and supports the campus culture of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship, and;
  • Whereas, the Faculty Committee on Instruction has submitted to the Faculty its Proposal Regarding a Center for Faculty Excellence, and;
  • Whereas, the scope of the Committee on Instruction’s report is limited to teaching, and;
  • Whereas, teaching is but one of the four areas mentioned under the Strategic Plan’s action item.
  • Be it resolved, that the College Senate charge the Chair of the Senate to charge additional Faculty committees to investigate the creation of a center that enhances and supports the campus culture of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship, furthermore;
  • Be it further resolved, such committees will report back to the Senate by the last Senate meeting of the Fall Semester, furthermore;
  • Be it resolved that subsequent to these reports to the Senate, the Faculty of the College or its representative bodies consult to decide whether such a center should be created and, if it is to be created, what its scope, purpose, and structure should be, furthermore;
  • Be it resolved that the Faculty or its representative bodies make its decision regarding such a center prior to the end of the 2011-2012 academic year.

On October 10, 2011, the Chair of the Committee on Research (CoR) was contacted by the Chair of the College Senate with the charge “to look into how a Center for Academic Excellence would enhance the campus culture of teaching, learning, research and creativity from the point of view of the constituents your committee represents.”

According to the Organization and Bylaws of the State University College at Oneonta Faculty (rev October 1998), Article V: Standing Faculty Committees, §12, the CoR shall:

  1. study and recommend means for enhancing research among students and faculty;
  2. keep the faculty informed concerning sources of funds and opportunities for conducting research; and
  3. be charged with overseeing the faculty/student research grant program that is offered twice a year and funded by the investment income of the College at Oneonta Foundation’s Unrestricted Endowment, made possible through charitable gifts and grants to the college.

General Discussion

As a starting point, the CoR discussed the Committee on Instruction’s Proposal Regarding a Center for Faculty Excellence and its relationship to the Senate’s resolution and charge to the CoR. It was agreed that the proposal put forth by the Committee on Instruction focuses almost entirely on the scholarship of teaching and learning. The role that the CoR has traditionally played is one that supports non-pedagogical scholarship, so any insight that the CoR could provide would be inconsistent with the stated mission of the previously proposed Center for Faculty Excellence. Instead of the proposed Center for Faculty Excellence, the CoR could envisage a Center for Academic Excellence that would enhance and support the campus culture of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship (as articulated in the College’s Strategic Plan 2010), and the integration of these components. However, based on role of the CoR and the constituencies it serves, this report focuses solely on how such a Center for Academic Excellence would enhance research and creative activity conducted by faculty (and students with faculty sponsorship), and makes recommendations on possible initiatives and programs that would positively impact faculty scholarship at SUNY Oneonta.

The CoR has not been charged with investigating the infrastructure of a possible Center for Academic Excellence (e.g. location, staffing, funding and other resources). However, a recurring point of the CoR discussions has been the lack of a central physical space dedicated to faculty on this campus. This deficit inhibits cross-disciplinary collaboration, informal meetings, new faculty integration, faculty camaraderie, and overall faculty presence on campus. Such a space would be critical to the effectiveness of a future Center for Academic Excellence, in any configuration, as faculty buy-in and use of such a Center is essential. Although specific recommendations as to the Center’s infrastructure are not under the purview of this report, suggested locations for such a dedicated faculty space include the proposed Welcome Center or Milne Library’s Academic Success Center, as presented in the College’s Facilities Master Plan Final Presentation.

Supporting Scholarship through a Center for Academic Excellence

From a broad perspective, a Center for Academic Excellence would create a space for both senior and junior faculty to discuss and learn how to integrate teaching, learning, research and service on our campus. More specifically, there are a number of ways that a Center for Academic Excellence could support the needs of faculty to effectively engage in research and scholarship.

  1. Help forge connections between faculty members
    1. Facilitate collaboration
    2. Advocate for and provide the means for interdisciplinary teaching and research
    3. Provide opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences
    4. Provide an insider’s guide to campus resources
    5. Shorten the scholarship learning curve for new faculty
      1. Facilitate orientation for new faculty to various offices and services available (incorporate and expand program currently offered by Academic Affairs)
      2. Provide a central place for faculty to go to find out “where to go” (e.g., which office can help with what issue)
      3. Inform faculty of resources available (e.g., release time for a special project)
      4. Inform faculty on how to get recognized for scholarship
  2. Act as a clearinghouse for faculty experiences/inside information
    1. Internal and external grant-seeking
      1. Pitfalls to avoid/best practices (e.g., it is best to have more than one student if including student summer work)
      2. Things to include in a grant that would help with the time issue (i.e., course coverage/release time)
    2. Time management and prioritizing with respect to scholarship
    3. Guidance for working with undergraduates (suggestions from those who have both successful and unsuccessful experiences)
    4. Resources (e.g., internal and external equipment and collections: what is available and procedure for access)
  3. Provide advocacy for issues important to success in scholarship
    1. Visiting faculty/collaborators
      1. Extended-stay housing
      2. Facilitate participation in campus (e.g., giving a special lecture)
    2. Summer student housing
    3. Recognition and promotion of faculty scholarship

Recommended Programs/Initiatives

Members of the CoR discussed a number of specific initiatives and programs that could either fall under the purview of, or be facilitated by, a Center for Academic Excellence.

  • Establish an Office on Research
    • Coordinate research compliance-related issues (human subjects, animal care and use, export controls, scientific misconduct, conflict of interest, biohazards, etc.)
    • Create and support a comprehensive Student Research Program
    • Consolidate and enhance various components of student research into one office (Grant Program, Student Research Day, awards programs, Student Travel for Excellence Program)
    • Provide support to the CoR in coordinating the student grant program
    • Increase student-faculty research partnerships
    • Work with faculty and students to develop long term research programs
    • Arrange for the use of facilities during summer months for scholarly activity (e.g., students and faculty who are awarded grants from the CoR have often found it difficult to find housing and research space during the summer months)
  • Provide orientation and support for new and junior faculty
    • Further develop the excellent mentoring program already in place
    • Organize workshops and individual consultations to help new faculty balance their teaching duties with their research and service activities, and to enable them to successfully pursue, and share the outcomes of, their research projects
    • Offer a mid-year retreat for new faculty
    • Help new and junior faculty with practical matters such as building a portfolio and preparing renewal and tenure folders
  • Establish a Center for Academic Excellence Lecture Series to highlight research on campus, and fund additional research events, guest speakers, etc.
  • Create a "Scholars in Residence Program" whereby each year the Center of Academic Excellence would develop a theme and bring scholars to campus (e.g., a "sustainability" theme would attract scholars from economics and environmental science, etc. to develop a year-long series of courses, lectures, research programs for faculty and students); such events would also improve our "public relations" with the region's population
  • Foster research that focuses on the needs of, and issues facing, rural and small town communities (ranging from economics to culture), to improve the College's relations with the rural and small town communities in the region by providing useful information
  • Work with the College Senate to provide a training program for faculty serving as Committee Chairs

May 7, 2012

The Committee on Research has reviewed the proposed “Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)” plan and makes the following recommendations to the College Senate:

  1. It is imperative that the College implements an RCR plan. An RCR plan benefits the institution in terms of legal protections, compliance with federal regulations, and external funding eligibility. In addition, elements of the proposed plan have the potential to benefit campus individuals engaged in activities guided by the plan through training in ethical conduct and best practices.
  2. The Committee supports the main elements of the proposed RCR plan. However, we recommend the following amendments:
    1. The RCR policy should include a plan for periodic review and modification.
    2. The Committee supports the use of the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program for RCR certification. However, the Committee is concerned that the proposal does not include any measures to ensure the identity of the individuals completing RCR certification training or the integrity of the online training process. For example, other institutions have designated, monitored training facilities. Such arrangements carry an associated cost, however. In the absence of campus Office of Research or Research Compliance Officer, we recommend that departments oversee any such training at the present time. (SUNY Oneonta RCR Plan, March 2012, page 2, Section 2b)
    3. The language regarding the timing of RCR training certification should be changed from “prior to proposal submission” to “prior to accessing awarded funds”. We find the proposed timeline to be unnecessary and are concerned that it might actually serve to discourage faculty from seeking funding on a short timeline. (SUNY Oneonta RCR Plan, March 2012, page 2, Section 2b, first bullet point)
    4. The policy should allow for transfer of equivalent CITI certification from other institutions if within the proposed 24 month update period. Many research institutions that Oneonta researchers might visit for collaboration and/or access to major resources (instruments, collections, etc.) already participate in this program and require certification of users. The Committee sees no reason why an appropriately trained and certified individual should have to complete training twice. (SUNY Oneonta RCR Plan, March 2012, page 2, Section 2b, third bullet point)
    5. The Research Integrity Officer (RIO) and Scientific Misconduct Policy Officer (SMPO) should be two separate individuals, or two individuals should jointly hold each position. (SUNY Oneonta RCR Plan, March 2012, page 4, Section 8)
    6. We recommend that a training program or summary sheet be developed that provides guidance to faculty on module selection and refers them to the appropriate individual(s) on the RCR contacts list.
  3. Finally, we would like to share the following observations in further support of adopting a preliminary RCR policy:
    1. Several Committee members have piloted the CITI training modules or completed CITI certification at another institution, including those relating to studies in the humanities, sciences, and research involving human subjects. We found them to be not overly time-­‐intensive and the material within to provide value even to experts in the field. We encourage colleagues with questions or concerns to preview them as well.
    2. The professional certification provided by the CITI training is something that will enhance a student's resume.
Back to top