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| SVSU Students Receive Funding for Outstanding Research and Creativity |
| Four Saginaw Valley State University students have been awarded funding by SVSU’s Student Research and Creativity Institute to support their exceptional scholarly and creative endeavors in the 2007-08 academic year. 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. Students serve as the primary researcher, author, or creative agent for each project but are guided by SVSU faculty and staff. The following student projects were selected to receive funding: . Carlie Hacha, an elementary education major from Saginaw (48638), will lead a group of SVSU Student Michigan Education Association students in a beautification and literacy project at Merrill Park Elementary School in Saginaw; the project was awarded $9,900. The first phase of the project will entail physical improvements to the school, which was dedicated in 1960 and is in need of some refurbishment. While the beautification efforts are taking place, Merill Park students will document the project through pictures, interviews and essays that will be compiled into a children’s book. The National Writing Project has endorsed such student publications as a best practice in developing child literacy. Hacha became familiar with Merrill Park during her field experience there as an education student. Many of the approximately 350 students at the school come from low-income families, as nearly 90 percent of them qualify to receive free or discounted school lunch. However, the school continues to exceed state average test scores and has consistently met Adequate Yearly Progress standards of the No Child Left Behind Act. In her letter of support, Merrill Park principal Dianne Willett-Dalton (a 1992 SVSU graduate) said that such beautification efforts are beyond the resources of Saginaw Public Schools during these difficult economic times, and the project would allow the school "to continue to ’shine’ as a successful part of our community." . Kristina Hester, a biology/pre-medicine major from Bay City (48706), was awarded $6,149 for travel to Ghana to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African nation, where some 350,000 people are living with the disease and 30,000 die from it each year. The trip would be part of the Projects Abroad program and involve staying with a host family and working daily in a hospital during her six to seven-week stay during the summer of 2007. In addition to her aspirations of becoming a physician, Hester works as a certified nurse’s assistant at Covenant Health Care in Saginaw. She will document her experiences in Ghana and share them with other SVSU students during the fall 2007 semester. In his letter of support, Andrew Chubb, associate professor of chemistry and pre-health professions advisor, wrote that Hester "has become one of the most promising pre-med students at SVSU," and in addition to the obvious health benefits to Ghana’s citizens, the trip will provide her "with the cultural awareness and wide perspective so much sought after in medical school candidates." . Heather Mindykowski, a computer science major from Bay City (48708), and Mark White, a computer science major from Bay City (48706), were awarded $10,000 for a computer programming project that would allow computers to run complex algorithms associated with image compression more efficiently. The platform holds potential for use by NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, automobile manufacturers and research scientists, among others. It could increase the speed of digital image processing to improve videoconferencing and satellite image downloading. In his letter of support, Tai-Chi Lee, professor of computer science and information systems, said that Mindykowski and White "are intelligent and hard-working students who have shown their interest in research" through their work on data encryption projects and other endeavors. Winning proposals were chosen through a competitive selection process. The selection committee includes at least one representative from each of SVSU’s five colleges. Carlos Ramet, executive assistant to the president, serves as coordinator of the program. Other current committee members are: . Joni Boye-Beaman, professor of sociology and interim assistant dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences . Brooks Byam, associate professor of mechanical engineering . Andrew Chubb, associate professor of chemistry . Frank Dane, Finkbeiner Endowned Chair in Ethics and Public Policy . Sally Decker, professor of nursing . Abigail Jewkes, assistant professor of teacher education . Mark McCartney, professor of accounting SVSU has committed $50,000 annually to fund outstanding student projects and a second application cycle for 2007-08 is now underway. Students must submit their proposals by March 30 to be considered. In 2006, the Institute announced its first recipients and eight proposals representing 11 students were awarded nearly $35,000. For more information, visit www.svsu.edu/srci. |
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