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| SVSU Establishes Student Research and Creativity Institute |
| Inaugural Class of Student Honorees Announced Outstanding student innovation is being recognized and rewarded at Saginaw Valley State University through the formation of the Student Research and Creativity Institute. The University committed $50,000 in funding to support student projects in the 2005-06 academic year. In all, eight proposals representing 11 students were awarded nearly $35,000. "This is an incredible show of support for student work," said Frank Dane, Finkbeiner Endowed Chair in Ethics and Public Policy, and a member of the committee that evaluates students’ proposals. The Institute is quite unique, according to Dane. "It really is unheard of," he said. "I don’t know of another university that supports students this way and to this extent." Any SVSU student may submit a proposal to receive financial support for his/her research or other creative endeavors. Each student project is eligible to receive up to $10,000. All student submissions must be sponsored by an SVSU faculty or staff member, as students are encouraged to collaborate with SVSU faculty and staff in their initiatives. Seeing the students’ outstanding ideas brought a quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson to the mind of selection committee member Sally Decker, SVSU professor of nursing. Emerson said, "There are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination." Decker added, "I think creating an environment here at SVSU where more students can experience these types of memorable days is a wonderful goal for our university. The Student Research and Creativity Institute is yet another way to help students become ‘something more.’ These proposals are strong evidence of the creativity and scholarship of students at SVSU." The following student projects were selected to receive funding: • Eric Connon, a history major from Freeland, was awarded $2,200 to finance his travel to London for archival research of the Napoleonic-era British Royal Navy and a comparative analysis with the modern United States Navy. He asserts that despite modern technological advances, "there are broader trends in administration, tactics and strategy that seem to be constant in large, assertive deepwater navies." Connor served as an intern at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC, and has studied abroad at Edge Hill College in England. In his letter of support, Mark L. Nicol, SVSU instructor of political science, stated that Connon is an "outstanding student in every way. Only his personal integrity and commitment to educational achievement exceed his enthusiasm for his research in naval history." • Shana A. Hiser, a music education major from Prudenville, was awarded $1,683, and Dale Huggard, a music education major from Bay City (48708), was awarded $1,620 to finance their travel to New York City to perform with the 2006 National Wind Ensemble May 25-30. The concert at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall features the best college musicians from across the country. Hiser will play the French horn. She has performed with SVSU’s marching and concert bands, as well as the Midland Concert Band. In addition, Hiser played in a community chamber band she helped to organize in Houghton Lake last summer. Huggard will play the clarinet. He has performed with the marching band, concert band, clarinet choir and university pit orchestra at SVSU, as well as the Saginaw Eddy Concert Band. • Brian D. Luptowski, an electrical engineering major from Bay City (48708); Debbie Sippert, a nursing major from Swartz Creek; and Adam Tennant, an electrical engineering major from Essexville; were awarded $5,332 to develop a prototype wheelchair pressure sensor. The goal of the project is to prevent pressure sores in wheelchair patients by measuring the pressure applied to tissue in contact with the seat of a wheelchair. If the pressure reaches a level that could result in pressure sores, an alarm would sound to alert caregivers. The project is a collaborative effort of the colleges of Nursing & Health Sciences, and Science, Engineering & Technology. In his letter of support, Russell Clark, SVSU assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, stated that "the stimulation of multi-disciplinary projects on campus is ... a great benefit. Rehabilitation engineering and enabling technologies are growth areas." • Khai Nguyen, a mathematics and physics major native to Vietnam and currently residing in Zilwaukee, was awarded $1,860 to support his research of eccentric digraphs and finance his travel to the 82nd annual meeting of the Michigan section of the Mathematical Association of America at Calvin College May 5-6. Digraphs are studied to better understand a person’s influence in a network and to prevent bottlenecks in traffic flows. Such research is useful for determining optimal locations for emergency facilities such as hospitals and fire stations. In his letter of support, Garry Johns, SVSU professor of mathematical sciences, stated that SVSU math faculty agree that Nguyen is "responsible, self-motivated and organized, and is able to communicate mathematical ideas clearly both orally and in writing." • Paolo Pedini, a fine arts major from Saginaw (48603), was awarded $10,000 to finance the creation of four large community murals in Saginaw. According to Pedini, the murals will be "inspired by stories gleaned from interviews ... in the community. Not only will these artworks relate the stories shared and Saginaw’s rich history, but they will inform and brighten areas" of the city. In her letter of support, Shaun E. Bangert, SVSU associate professor of art, stated that the project’s most appealing aspect is that it will "include students from a variety of disciplines in the creation, documentation, promotion and presentation of the murals." • Jennifer Watson, a biology major from Lexington, Mich., was awarded $9,923 to study the genetics of freshwater mussels in the Great Lakes and expand upon previous research of SVSU biology students and faculty. She will examine the sex ratio of Great Lakes zebra mussels to examine ways to control the invasive species. According to Watson, the data "will enable us to evaluate the potential long-term effects the species will have on the Great Lakes ecosystem and what bioremediation programs should be used to limit the zebra mussel’s negative impact on native animals and especially native freshwater mussels." In his letter of support, Richard J. Trdan, SVSU professor of biology, stated that Watson "has the skill, determination and work ethic to become an outstanding researcher." • Staci Wegener, a chemistry major from Auburn; and Ann Woys, a chemistry major from Bay City (48708), were awarded $2,150 to support their research of cerium compounds used in catalytic converters and finance their travel to the 231st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society March 26-30 in Atlanta, Ga. Their proposal states ceria serve "a dual role functioning as both an oxidizing and a reducing agent to convert harmful gasoline engine products into less hazardous gases." In her letter of support, Deborah R. Huntley, SVSU associate professor of chemistry, states "this is very advanced work for undergraduates, which serves as testimony to the intelligence and diligence of these two young women." Winning proposals were chosen through a competitive selection process. The selection committee included one representative from each of SVSU’s five colleges: Brooks Byam, associate professor of mechanical engineering; Frank Dane, Finkbeiner Endowed Chair in Ethics and Public Policy; Sally Decker, professor of nursing; Diana Lawson, Wickes Endowed Chair in International Business; and Cindy Sager, assistant dean of the College of Education. Carlos Ramet, executive assistant to the president, serves as coordinator of the program. For more information on the Student Research and Creativity Institute, visit its Web site at www.svsu.edu/srci. |
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