Faculty Research and Scholarly Activities

Current Awards

Assessment of Watermilfoils (Myriophyllum spp.) in the Lake Champlain Basin: Population Genetics and Influence on Native Plant Communities
Source: Lake Champlain Basin Program
Award Amount: $239,894
Period: 1/1/2024-5/31/2026
Principal Investigators: Alex Sotola, Daniel Stich (Biology)
Research goals for this project include determining the genetic and phenotypic variation within and between members of the Myriophyllum genus and determining how the genetic ancestry influences native plant biodiversity in the Lake Champlain Basin. The findings will address issues related to ecosystem health, aquatic biodiversity, and aquatic invasive species.

Surface Design with Cotton: Digital Duplication of Hand Dyeing Techniques
Source: Cotton Incorporated
Award Amount: $7,474
Period: 1/1/2024-12/31/2024
Principal Investigator: Jody Aultman (Human Ecology)
This project is part of a special topics course for fashion and textiles students where they will research and execute hand dyeing techniques on a variety of cotton textiles, duplicating surface designs in the digital environment and completing those digital designs on fabric. Select designs will be developed into a mini collection culminating in an exhibition of designs in the Human Ecology gallery space.

Together We Grow: A Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Model for Community Food Garden & Healthy Eating Initiative in a Rural Food Desert*
Source: USDA NIFA
Award Amount: $219,777
Period: 8/1/2022-7/31/2024
Principal Investigator: Mandeep Virk-Baker (Human Ecology)
The project will address healthy eating and food security via a novel multi-sectoral stakeholder community food garden and healthy eating initiative in an impoverished rural area in Otsego County. The project will bring together several key stakeholders from various parts of the rural food system, including local schools, and it will foster higher levels of community engagement.

Catskill Region Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program
Source: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Award Amount: $2.2 million
Period: 1/2022-12/2026
Principal Investigator: Paul Lord (Biological Field Station)
This is a five-year contract to administer the Catskill Region Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Spread Program.

SUNY Oneonta College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP Oneonta)*
Source: U.S. Department of Education
Award Amount: $2,374,982
Period: 7/2021-6/2026
Principal Investigator: Pathy Leiva (Access Opportunity Programs)
SUNY Oneonta CAMP will continue to provide migrant and seasonal farm working students of New York State with comprehensive academic and social support services in a rigorous college setting to encourage the successful completion of their first year of college, and intensive follow-up support so they are successful in completing their postsecondary education.

SUNY Oneonta Noyce Scholars Program - III*
Source: National Science Foundation
Award Amount: $1,199,744
Period: 7/2020 - 6/2025
Principal Investigators: Paul Bischoff (Secondary Science Education), Paul French (Physics & Astronomy), Doug Reilly (Science Discovery Center)
The program will prepare, via a variety of academic and practical experiences, twenty-four New York State (NYS)-certified middle and high school STEM teachers for the rigors of teaching in both urban and rural high-need schools.

Recent Awards

Our History, Their Future: New York State History Day 2021-2022*
Source: Robert Lion Gardiner Foundation
Award Amount: $124,990
Period: 11/2021-9/2022
Principal Investigator: Gretchen Sorin (Cooperstown Graduate Program)
Funds will be used to assist SUNY/CGP to begin to serve as the NYS National History Day affiliate lead for NYS History Day (NYSHD) and to host the 2022 NYSHD event on the SUNY Oneonta campus in April 2022.

Our History, Their Future: New York State History Day 2021-2022 (2) *
Source: William G. Pomeroy Foundation
Award Amount: $20,000
Period: 1/2022-12/2022
Principal Investigator: Gretchen Sorin (Cooperstown Graduate Program)
Funds will be used to assist SUNY/CGP in providing professional development and support to teachers and schools to participate in the 2022 NYSHD event on the SUNY Oneonta campus in April 2022.

Teaching Award at University of Milan
Source: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
Award Amount: Awarded to applicant
Original Award Period: 3/2020-7/2020; Rescheduled Award Period: 3/2022-7/2022
Principal Investigator: Richard Barberio (Political Science)

Applied Research Award at Jindal Global University (JGU)
Source: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
Award Amount: Awarded to applicant
Original Award Period: Spring 2021; Rescheduled Award Period: Spring 2022
Principal Investigator: Anu Shastri (Educational Psychology Counseling & Special Ed)

Range-wide survey for Louisiana Pigtoe Pleurobena riddellii and Texas Heelsplitter Potamilus amphichaenus*
Source: Texas Comptroller (subaward)
Award Amount: $57,730
Period: 1/2021-12/2022
Principal Investigator: Dan Stich (Biology)
Under the supervision of Dr. Stich, a graduate student will be responsible for data management, creation of Bayesian robust-design mark-recapture model(s) for the study species, and analysis of abundance, survival, emigration, and detection probability following the methods of Sotola et al. (In Press).

Mussel Survey Services for NYSDOT*
Source: NYS Department of Transportation (contract)
Award Amount: $162,771
Period: 5/2021-11/2022
Principal Investigator: Paul Lord (Biological Field Station)
The project team will conduct as many as three simultaneous pearly mussel surveys in diverse watersheds from May 15 to August 20 each contract year.

Rebuilding New York State History Day: Supporting Humanities Learning for Adolescents*
Source: Humanities NY Action Grant
Award Amount: $5,000
Period: 7/2021-4/2022
Principal Investigator: Gretchen Sorin (Cooperstown Graduate Program)
Funds will be used to support CGP's efforts to successfully launch a revamped New York State History Day program. The HNY funds will allow CGP to pay the first year's affiliate fee; prepare and distribute marketing materials; and provide medals and certificates to student participants.

Visioning Meeting for New Statewide History Conference in New York State*
Source: Humanities NY Action Grant
Award Amount: $1,5000
Period: 8/2021-10/2021
Principal Investigator: William Walker (Cooperstown Graduate Program)
The proposed visioning meeting will bring together, virtually, history and humanities experts from across New York State to advise on the creation of a new state history conference. A follow-up report will compile recommendations for the new conference and identify key stakeholders.

Linking Evolutionary Processes and Taxonomy in the Peatmoss Group Sphagnum subg. Cuspidata*
Source: National Science Foundation ROA Supplement (awarded to Duke University)
Award Amount: $31,442
Period: 1/2020 - 12/2022
Principal Investigators: Sean Robinson (Biology)
The primary objectives of this Research Opportunity Award (ROA) are to: (1) determine the taxonomic status of S. trinitense, S. mississippiense and S. viride in relation to S. cuspidatum on the basis of morphological and genetic data; (2) determine the morphological and genetic diversity and population structure of the species under question; and (3) produce new species descriptions, if warranted, for S. trinitense, S. mississippiense and S. viride as part of a taxonomic revision of Sphagnum subg. Cuspidata.

Toward a Mother-Inclusive Academy: Creating a Space for Mothers on Campus and Beyond
Source: UUP Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher Affirmative Action/Diversity Leave Program
Award Amount: $5,400
Period: 8/2021-12/2021
Principal Investigator: Summer Cunningham (Communication & Media)
This leave will be used to develop, prepare, and submit: 1) an article-length manuscript for publication in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal in my field and 2) a proposal for a book length project on the topic of mothering and motherhood, rooted in my existing research in this area.

Catskill Region Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program*
Source: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (contract)
Award Amount: $790,310
Period: 5/2019-8/2021
Principal Investigator: Paul Lord (Biological Field Station)
As the successful contract bidder, SUNY Oneonta's Biological Field Station will provide training and equipment to 22 boat stewards at 25 locations in the Catskill Region throughout the boating season (Memorial Day through Labor Day 2019-2021) to prevent the introduction and spread of high priority aquatic invasive species.

The Leatherstocking Writing Project's Video Game Designer Institute*
Source: National Writing Project: 2019 LRNG Innovators Challenge
Award Amount: $20,000
Period: 6/1/2019-8/31/2020
Principal Investigators: Thor Gibbons & Lee Graham (Secondary Education and Education Technology)
The Leatherstocking Writing Project’s Video Game Designer Institute provides school professionals and rural youth the opportunity to participate in a STEM/STEAM writing institute. Designed for local teachers and 4th through 8th grade students, this institute will engage participants in a structured-writing workshop around video game terminology, planning, review, and production. Institute coordinators will host a three-day professional development workshop to guide educators in game design and systems thinking. For students, the institute will provide a summer camp and after-school activities during the school year to provide access to technologies, proximity for engagement, and opportunities for critical experiences in game design and systems thinking.

Refining a Scalable Model for Open Educational Practice across the SUNY System**
Source: SUNY IITG
Award Amount: $17,200
Period: 7/1/2019-6/30/2020
Principal Investigators: Lee Graham (Secondary Education and Education Technology), Ed Beck (Teaching, Learning and Technology Center)
This project aims to develop capacity, policy, and support for open education pedagogy (OEP) in the SUNY system. While online learning is well established in controlled, walled spaces like Blackboard, OEP encourages faculty and students to create public-facing resources as students demonstrate their learning. SUNY Oneonta and four other participating SUNY institutions will pilot the use of Reclaim Hosting in an attempt to create scalable solutions for OEP. Reclaim Hosting will provide a university-controlled and customizable tool to host shared open online learning spaces. Faculty at SUNY Oneonta and Instructional Technology (IT) support from the four participating institutions have been recruited to test the system and further develop support structures and pedagogical supports needed to sustain the technology and teaching model.

From Concept to Final Product: The Design and Fabrication of Innovative Musical Electronic Devices to Enhance Student Learning**
Source: SUNY IITG
Award Amount: $9,990
Period: 7/1/2019-6/30/2020
Principal Investigators: Michael Faux (Physics & Astronomy), Gavin Vitale (Music)
This project aims to create a learning space in which students can collaboratively design and construct novel electronic instruments, effects and sound processors. Through a partnership between the Music and Physics Departments, students from both disciplines will benefit from complementary skillsets and gain valuable experience that is highly sought after in the job market. The project will allow students to bring an innovative idea from concept to a workable product that can be tested, analyzed, improved and potentially marketed. It will encourage further research in this growing field and promote collaboration between the humanities and sciences, introducing
new pedagogical practices and providing students with valuable experience in their liberal arts education.

SEED Advanced Institute to Scale Up C3WP*
Source: National Writing Project
Award Amount: $15,000
Period: 6/2019-5/2020
Principal Investigator: Thor Gibbins (Secondary Education & Education Technology)
The Leatherstocking Writing Project's C3WP AI (advanced institute) will consist of three parts: The Summer Institute - Teacher as Writer, the Fall Institute - Teacher as Researcher, and the Spring Institute - Teacher as Leader. Through these three thematic institutes, C3WP content will be delivered in a manner that positions AI participants to be effective teacher-leaders and teacher-researchers.

The St. Thomas Sanitary Committee Fair of 1864 and Louisa Jacobs
Source: The Library Company of Philadelphia (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship
Award Amount: $2,000 (Awarded to applicant)
Period: 6/1/2019-5/31/2020
Principal Investigator: Susan Goodier (History)
Research utilizing the library's collection will be conducted to uncover connections between Louisa Jacobs and women who participated in hosting the sanitary fair.

National Partnerships to Recruit, Prepare, and Support Human Sciences/Family and Consumer Science Educators*
Source: USDA/NIFA
Award Amount: $747,525
Period: 4/2018 - 3/2021
Principal Investigator: Jan Bowers (Dean, School of Education and Human Ecology)
This project is facilitating collaborative interaction with education institutions, state departments of education, Extension, K-12 educators and students, professional associations, student organizations, and industry partners on a nationwide basis to recruit, prepare, and support family and consumer science (FCS) educators. Combining university resources and grant funds with professional and student association resources and with industry and education partner expertise, creates a synergy that facilitates a cost-effective, collaborative and holistic approach to recruiting, preparing, and supporting FCS educators to meet state and national workforce needs that can be replicated and sustained over time.

Oneonta's Life Enjoyed is about CHOICES *
Source: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Award Amount: $30,000
Period: 8/2017 - 5/2020
Principal Investigators: Tracy Ranieri (Athletics), James Zians (Psychology)
Funding will support the establishment of the SUNY O PROS (Oneonta Players Reaching Other Students) Program through which up to 30 student athlete peer mentors will provide orientation and academic year programming to promote positive social norms about alcohol on campus and in the community.

Authentic Research Experiences for Earth Science Education Majors *
Source: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Award Amount: $354,439
Period: 7/2017 - 6/2020
Principal Investigators: James Ebert (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), Paul Bischoff (Secondary Education)
This project will engage pre-service Earth Science Education (ESE) majors in authentic research experiences designed to deepen content expertise and immersion in model-based learning, a pedagogy proven to enhance students’ conceptual understanding. For each year of the three year project, a cohort of pre-service Earth Science teachers will design and build new models of Earth processes and concepts. Models developed by participants will be evaluated by New York State Master STEM Teachers and pilot-tested in K-12 and introductory geoscience college classes. Models will also be presented in informal science education venues and at science teacher conferences. These experiences will enable participating ESE majors to stimulate interest in the geosciences in K-12 students, with the ultimate goals of promoting majoring in the geosciences in college and eventually reducing the deficit of geoscientists in the workforce.

A Scalable Model for Coordinating and Promoting Applied Learning Experiences **
Source: SUNY Expanded Investment and Performance Fund
Award Amount: $175,000
Period: 8/2016 - 7/2020
Project Director: Eileen Morgan-Zayachek (Academic Affairs)
SUNY Oneonta will partner with SUNY Potsdam to test innovative models for applied learning, develop effective assessments, and evolve best practices that are scalable across the SUNY system. Oneonta will specifically contribute by furthering recent efforts to coordinate and scaffold applied learning experiences in a novel approach termed “tiered” applied learning.

Development of a Financial Literacy Application as a Tool for Reducing Student Debt and Improving Time to Degree **
Source: SUNY Expanded Investment and Performance Fund
Award Amount: $350,000
Period: 7/2016 - 6/2021
Project Director: Susan Clemons (Finance & Administration)
This project, referred to as “Making Cents,” will feature a student-centered approach that includes instruction, individual counseling and advising, targeted communications, interactive events, and an array of creative, electronic tools. A unique financial literacy app will be developed to interface with SUNY Oneonta’s Student Information System (Banner) to deliver individualized financial information to students from which personal budgets, loan repayment calculators, and other unique “what if” predictive calculators can be accessed. The app will enable students to conceptualize the long term implications of their borrowing and spending behavior, leading to better-informed financial decisions. Funding will also support development of an engaging, interactive website, licensing for a robust online instructional program (EverFi), an online Personal Financial Management Certification Program (Inceptia) for a cohort of advisors, financial literacy events, and targeted communications. This model will be replicated at a collaborating campus, SUNY Cobleskill, in order to assess ease of implementation and to collect outcomes data for students in two-year programs.

NOTE: Current Grant Awards represent applications facilitated through the Grants Development Office and does not include private grants and gifts secured and administered through the SUNY Oneonta Foundation (University Advancement), or contracts facilitated by the Office of Sponsored Programs (Finance & Administration).
*Funds awarded to The Research Foundation for SUNY (RF) on behalf of SUNY Oneonta
**Funds awarded through SUNY and/or New York State

The Faculty/Professional Staff Research and Creative Activity Grant Program supplements support to faculty in all disciplines to begin or maintain a research agenda or to conduct creative activities. Funds awarded through this program may be used to cover costs associated with the proposed research or creative activity, such as necessary supplies, student assistants, etc.

Current Awards (2024-2025)

• William Ashbaugh (History) – Western Influence on Japanese Anime: Mobile Suit Gundam [$2,000]
• Wesley Bernard (Art) – Blue Ribbon Gallery Show [$1,000]
• Antoine Blanc (Chemistry & Biochemistry) – Additional Scale-Up Production of Melicoptelines [$2,500]
• Chloe Diamond-Lenow, (Women's & Gender Studies) – The Politics and Possibilities of Queer Trans Studies [$1,500]
• Shiyi Chin (Economics), Yan Lang (Business), Wen Wen (Secondary Education & Educational Technology), Xue Xue Yang (Elementary Education & Reading) – Cross-Disciplinary Insights on Data Literacy in the AI Era: Factors, Representations, and Implications for Teaching [$1,500]
• Kyu Ha Choi (Sport & Exercise Sciences) – Artificial Facility as a Hub for Elite Sport Development: The Case of a Surf Park in South Korea [$2,000]
• Alsius David (Business), Junryo Watanabe (Biology) – Development of the Reflective User: The Additive Effects of Reflective Practices and Gameful Learning on Flow and Cybersecurity Awareness [$700]
• Cynthia Falk (Cooperstown Graduate Program) – New York's Refuge Farmers after World War II [$675]
• Scott Maguffin (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) – Water and Soil Sustainability for Nutritious Rice Production [$2,500]
• Liyao Pan (Business) – Enhancing Inclusive Leadership through Self-Awareness in Business Simulations: Adopting Bodyswap’s “Resolving Conflict” Module in Management [$1,000]
• Valerie Rapson (Physics & Astronomy) – Showing the Public How Modern Astronomical Images are Made: Hands-on Demos for the Planetarium Entryway [$1,100]
• Lisa Rusch (Sport & Exercise Sciences), Move-ONe! [$2,000]
• Sarah Simpson (Art) – Anna Warfield Solo Exhibition: Joyful Undoings [$2,000]
• Shawna Taylor (Elementary Education & Reading) – Chat with Me: Partners Using Smartphone Apps in English for Academic Purposes Programs (ELLS) and Teacher Preparation Programs [$2,000]
• Matthew Unangst (History) – Colonial History in the Cold War: The Struggle over a Shared Past in Tanzania and Divided Germany, 1953-1989 [$2,000]
• Jacob Warner (Geography & Environmental Sustainability) – Mapping Surface Water Isotopes in Coastal Ancash, Peru [$2,500]
• XueXue Yang (Elementary Education & Reading) – Enhancing Teacher Candidates' Preparedness for Engaging with ESL/Multilingual Learners: A Practical Learning Experience via Peer Mentoring [$2,500]

The Adjunct/Lecturer Professional Development and Activities Fund is a non-endowed fund created through charitable gifts to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation used to support the work and professional development of adjunct part-time and full-time lecturer faculty members at SUNY Oneonta for expenditures such as equipment and supplies that support instruction and program development, student engagement experiences such as field trips and guest lectures, and professional development activities including travel for adjunct faculty to attend conferences and workshops.

As active or retired practitioners in their respective fields, adjunct faculty and lecturers draw knowledge from their life and professional experiences to enhance SUNY Oneonta's educational experience. Students reap the most benefit from the real-world expertise and a classroom experience that reflects current trends in the field.

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021 (View 2021 LOTM presentations)
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010

• 2024
  • Michelle Hendley
    Head of Collection Development, Resource Management, Sharing
    Milne Library
  • Thor Gibbins, Associate Professor
    Secondary Education & Education Technology
    School of Education, Human Ecology and Sports Studies
  • Kiara Pipino, Associate Professor
    Theatre
    School of Liberal Arts and Business
  • Elizabeth Seale, Professor
    Sociology, Human Services, and Crime Studies
    School of Sciences
• 2023-24
• 2022-23
• 2021-22
• 2020-21
• 2019-20
• 2018-19
• 2017-18
• 2016-17
• 2015-16