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April 27, 2011

RGI Awards Announced for 2011-2012

Thirty-three proposals have been chosen for funding in the 2011-2012 Research Growth Initiative^®, an internal seed-funding competition aimed at enhancing the university's research and scholarly work and supporting the state's economic development through innovation.

As a testament to the improving quality of RGI submissions, the independent experts and scholars who reviewed the applications awarded double-alpha quality ratings to over 40 percent of this year's 112 proposals. The final selection of awardees, based on the external reviewers' ratings of the three evaluation criteria, was made by a committee (RGI coordinator Kathleen Koch and Associate Deans Michael Liston and Douglas Woods) appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Five proposals from Biological Sciences were funded, as well as four each from Engineeringand Physics. Social sciences, professions, and the humanities were also well represented, including the first-ever award for Africology.

Reflecting the growing emphasis on multi- and interdisciplinary research, seven of the 15 collaborative projects funded feature investigators from multiple departments.

Unless noted, Co-PIs are from the same departments as the PIs. The awardees are:

Predicting Phase Formation and Transitions in Functional Oxide Nanolaminates

Carolyn Aita, Chemistry and Biochemistry

This Way Out: A History of Deportation from the U.S., 1935-1970

Rachel Buff, History

Remote-Controlled, Self-Healing Shape Memory Polymer Composites

Jian Chen, Chemistry and Biochemistry

The Novel Kinase KIN2 Signaling in Endoplasmic Stress

Madhusudan Dey, Biological Sciences

Co-PI(s): Valerica Raicu, Physics

Black Horizon: A Documentary in Verse

Rebecca Dunham, English

Drug Discovery for Hepatitis C: Hit-to-lead Development of Helicase Inhibitors

David Frick, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Advanced Electron Microscopy and Holography of Multiscale Multiferroic Materials

Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovska, Physics

Co-PI(s): Prasenjit Guptasarma, Marvin Schofield

Residential Segregation and Discrete Choice Analysis

Pat Goldsmith, Sociology

Co-PI(s): William Velez

Recollection as a 2-Stage Process: A Converging Methods Approach to Investigation of Memory, Awareness, and the Brain.

Deborah Hannula, Psychology

Thermally Derived Graphene Based Nanocrystalline Sheets for Lithium Ion Batteries

Carol Hirschmugl, Physics

Co-PI(s): Junhong H Chen, Mechanical Engineering; Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovksa

Preference Functions and the Evolution of Multimodal Signals

Gerlinde Hoebel, Biological Sciences

Measuring Leadership Preferences in Ethno-Territorial Conflicts

Shale Horowitz, Political Science

Vital Architecture: Sustaining Life and Living Space

Jennifer Johung, Art History

Culturally Enhanced Behavioral Activation for African Americans with Depression

Jonathan Kanter, Psychology

Co-PI(s): Michael Brondino, Social Work; Shakoor Lee, Nursing

Theoretical Study of the Microstructural Impacts on the Mechanical Performance of Metal-Matrix Nano Composites

Changsoo Kim, Materials Engineering

Co-PI(s): Pradeep Rohatgi

Gain-Guiding Optical Fiber Lasers: Fundamental Limitations and Practical Solutions

Arash Mafi, Electrical Engineering

The Muslim Milwaukee Project

Anna Mansson McGinty, Geography

Co-PI(s): Caroline Seymour-Jorn, Comparative Literature; Kristin Sziarto

Novel Mechanisms of Cellulose and Chitin Utilization by Members of the Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidetes

Mark McBride, Biological Sciences

Microbial Communities as Indicators of Oil Contamination on Coastal Beaches

Sandra McLellan, Freshwater Sciences

A Feasibility Study of Two-Way Messaging for Prostate Cancer Patients

Susan McRoy, Computer Science

Co-PI(s): Hayeon Song, Communication

A Test of the Association Between Subjective Self-Reports and Objective Measures of Social Support-Related Communication among HIV-Affected African American Female Dyads

Katie Mosack, Psychology

Co-PI(s): Michael Brondino, Social Work; Patricia Stevens, Nursing

Optogenetic Visual Neuroprosthetics

Ramin Pashaie, Electrical Engineering

Lung Oxygen Toxicity: Optical Biopsy and Imaging Techniques

Mahsa Ranji, Electrical Engineering

The Reaction of Nitric Oxide with Mycobacterium tuberculosis HemoglobinN

Marius Schmidt, Physics

Co-PI(s): Arsenio Pacheco, Chemistry; Alan Schwabacher, Chemistry

Identifying the Pathogens That Regulate Tree Species Diversity and Abundance in Tropical Forests

Stefan Schnitzer, Biological Sciences

Spatial Fixes and Hegemonic Re-Rrderings: Africa's Place in the Emerging New Order

Jeffrey Sommers, Africology

Understanding Multi-Level Barriers to Physical Activity and Health Behaviors in Older Adults

Scott Strath, Human Movement Science

Co-PI(s): Kevin Keenan, Ann Swartz

Topological Insulators: Growth and Electronic Properties

Michael Weinert, Physics

Co-PI(s): Lian Li

A Meshless Approach to Studying Cell-wide Calcium Signaling

Zeyun Yu, Computer Science

Sustainable Development of Atomic-scale Nano-coating Technology

Chris Yuan, Mechanical Engineering

Co-PI(s): Tien-chien Jen

Automatic Patient Search for Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

Jun Zhang, Electrical Engineering

Co-PI(s): Xiangming Mu, Information Studies; Tian Zhao; Computer Science

MicroRNA-mediated Cross-Talk Between ABA and Auxin Signaling in Arabidopsis

Dazhong Zhao, Biological Sciences

Singular Stochastic Control of Regime Switching Diffusion: Viscosity Solution and Linear Programming

Chao Zhu, Mathematical Sciences