Seven research grants totaling $43K given to UNK faculty

KEARNEY – The Research Services Council at the University of Nebraska at Kearney has awarded seven grants totaling nearly $43,000 to UNK faculty as part of its bi-annual grant competition.

The purpose of the Research Services Council is to encourage research and creative activity by UNK faculty and graduate students.

The RSC places special emphasis on seed grants for projects that potentially lead to external funding, demonstrate the potential for publication or other appropriate forms of dissemination, and projects that involve students in research.

Those receiving funded grants include:

Jacob Rosdail, assistant professor communication; Jeff Wells, assistant professor history, ,833

Rosdail and Wells were awarded a collaborative grant for the project “Kearney Goes to War.” Rosdail is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who will turn his camera on the survivors of, and those influenced by, World War II in Kearney. Wells has access to a bevy of artifacts and will work with his students to create an interactive digital archive, complemented by Jacob’s film.

Allen Thomas, assistant professor chemistry, $10,201

Thomas was awarded a seed grant for the project “Probing Large-Neutral Amino Acid Transporter 1 (LAT1)” to identify substrates for use in drug delivery methods for Alzheimer’s.

Anthony Donofrio, assistant professor music and performing arts, $5,085

Donofrio was awarded a seed grant for the project “University of Nebraska Kearney New Music Series.” He intends to bring new music to UNK and is moving the annual New Music Festival to a more competitive format.

Sharon Obasi, assistant professor family studies and interior design, $3,806

Obasi was awarded a seed grant for the project “Namesaking and Familial Relationships.” Her work includes research on how immigrants name their children and effects these practices have.

Michael Langlais, assistant professor family studies and interior design, $3,300

Langlais was awarded a collaborative grant for the project “Examining the Influence of Facebook on Adolescent Romantic Relationships.” He will study the influence of Facebook on romantic relationships in Kearney High School students.

Mallory Wetherell, assistant professor art and art history, $3,094

Wetherell was awarded a seed grant for the project titled “DeltaMaker 3D Printing in Ceramic.” She will modify a 3-D printer so that it can print in clay.

Jennifer Bates, assistant professor art, $511

Bates was awarded a seed grant for the project “Everyone Loves to Read: Public Art at the North Library Community Library.” She will create a program to encourage childhood literacy.

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Writer: Todd Gottula, Director of Communications, 308.865.8454, gottulatm@unk.edu
Contact: Richard Mocarski, Director Sponsored Programs, 308.865.8496, mocarskira@unk.edu

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