总统ial Public Impact 研究 Award recipients selected

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State announced today (June 4) the recipients of the inaugural 总统ial Public Impact 研究 Awards (PPIRA), a new program designed to support faculty 和 students who are working on research projects that directly benefit communities.

这个项目, with funding totaling nearly $700,000 from Penn State 总统 Neeli Bendapudi’s office, the Office of the Senior Vice 总统 for 研究, 和 Penn State's Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative, recognizes 和 supports teams of two to four faculty members 和 their graduate or undergraduate students across the Commonwealth Campuses who are already conducting research that benefits their communities alongside community partners. The award provides up to $10,000 for each faculty member (up to $40,000) — in the form of summer support — 和 $3,500 for each student on the team.  

Assistance will be provided to apply for additional external funding, bolstered by the University’s partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Transforming Evidence Funders Network. 

“Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses are uniquely positioned to partner on the local level to conduct scholarship that makes a profound difference in the communities we serve,” said Bendapudi. “The 总统ial Public Impact 研究 Award program recognizes the vital work being undertaken by faculty 和 researchers at our campuses, while investing the University’s resources in continuing to enrich communities 和 empower residents across 宾西法尼亚. As a leading research university committed to public service, Penn State is proud to advance public impact research across the commonwealth.”

Due to an incredible number of competitive proposals 和 overwhelming support from the administration, two cohorts have been selected, one for the 2024-2025 period, 和 a second for the 2025-2026 period, collectively originating from 11 Commonwealth Campuses. 

教师 Awardees for 2024-2025 include:  

• Jill Felker (Penn State Berks) with Shirley Clark (Penn State Harrisburg), Tami Mysliwiec (Penn State Berks) 和 Lisa Emili (Penn State Altoona) for “Microplastic Pollution 研究 和 Outreach in the Delaware River Watershed in Reading, 宾西法尼亚” (Partner: PA Department of Conservation 和 Natural Resources)

• Jennifer Murphy (Penn State Berks) with Brenda Russell (Penn State Berks) for “社区 Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines” (Partner: Council on Chemical Abuse)

• Maryam Roshanaei (Penn State 阿宾顿) with Jennifer Breese (Penn State Greater Allegheny) 和 Brian Gardner (Penn State Schuylkill) for “Enhancing Cybersecurity Readiness in Non-Profit Organizations Through Collaborative 研究 和 Innovation” (Partner: PA Association of Non-Profit Organizations)

• Nonna Sorokina (Penn State Scranton) with Dusan Ramljak (Penn State Great Valley) for “Data-Driven Response to High Opioid Abuse Impact: Leveraging Machine Learning, AI, 健康, Social 和 Economic Determinants” (Partner: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)

• Michele Tantardini (Penn State Harrisburg) with Göktuğ Morçöl (Penn State Harrisburg) 和 Mohammad Ali (Penn State Harrisburg) for “Transitioning to Green Jobs in 宾西法尼亚” (Partner: South Central Workforce Development Board)

教师 Awardees for 2025-2026 include:  

• Richard Harnish (Penn State New Kensington) with Joy Krumenacker (Penn State New Kensington) 和 Jennifer Croyle (Penn State Greater Allegheny) for “Exploring 社区 Mental 健康 & Wellness Needs: A Focus Group Proposal” (Partner: Wesley Family Services)

• Daniel Mallinson (Penn State Harrisburg) with Sara Imanpour (Penn State Harrisburg) 和 Patricia Aguilera-Hermida (Penn State Harrisburg) for “Underst和ing the Effects of a New Approach: Program Evaluation of Behavioral Intervention in the Steelton-HighSpire School District” (Partner: Youth Counseling Services, 有限责任公司)

• Joseph Ranalli (Penn State Hazleton) with William Yourey (Penn State Hazleton) 和 Bhanu Babaiahgari (Penn State Hazleton) for “Empowering Families for Energy Reduction (EFER)” (Partner: Hazleton Integration Project)

• Juyoung Song (Penn State Schuylkill) with Joseph Squillace (Penn State Schuylkill) 和 Hakan Can (Penn State Schuylkill) for “Identifying Risk Factors 和 Protective Factors of Cyberbullying Behaviors in Rural Areas by Using Machine Learning Analysis” (Partner: Pottsville Area High School, Schuylkill Haven Area School District)

• Luna Yang (Penn State Br和ywine) with Anna Sigmon (Penn State Br和ywine), Ahmed Nuriye (Penn State 阿宾顿) 和 Christine Allen (Penn State Br和ywine) for “Preparing a Scientific Workforce to Support the Economic Development 和 Talent Retention of the Southeastern PA region” (Partners: Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Mainline Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society, & Delaware County Workforce Development Board)

All awardees will incorporate student experiential learning opportunities as well as directly engage 和 support with a local partner, such as nonprofits, school districts, chambers of commerce 和 workforce development organizations.   

As a public l和-grant institution, Penn State’s faculty, staff 和 students have always conducted research that serves the greater good, 和 the PPIRA program is part of Penn State's broader commitment to public impact research. 现在, by committing to the PPIRA program, the University aims to provide even more support to researchers 和 students at its Commonwealth Campuses who are conducting impactful work that benefits communities 和 improves the well-being of local residents.  

“The PPIRA program aligns closely with our broader engagement with national 和 international partners aiming to drive scholarship toward real-world impact 和 serve critical community needs,” said Max Crowley, director of the Penn State's Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative, the organization that has taken the lead in developing this program. “We’re thrilled to move forward with support for 10 excellent research proposals that emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, that authentically engage community partners, 和 that meaningfully incorporate student engagement in the research process. 最终, we hope the Penn State investment will help to position the recipients to be competitive for external funding from foundations or federal 和 state agencies.”