Grant total tops $45 million for 1999-2000
Oct. 27, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Grants to Western Michigan University reached their second highest total in the University's history, topping out at nearly $46 million for the 1999-2000 year, according to a report presented to the WMU Board of Trustees at its Oct. 27 meeting.
Last year, grants exceeded $83 million, thanks to a one-time award of $51 million. Other grants to the university that year totaled $32.5 million. This year's total of $45,884,153 is an increase of nearly 30 percent over last year's total, when the one-time grant is excluded.
"The number of grants brought into the University this fiscal year was exemplary," notes Dr. Donald E. Thompson, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate College. "It was a banner year in the University's research, instruction and public service efforts."
The year-end total reported to the board included grants recorded during June, the final month of activity for the 1999-2000 year. Grants during that month alone totaled more than $6.2 million and included awards for the University to continue work in areas in which the WMU has established a research and public service track record.
The largest grant received during the month of June was a more than $1 million award from the National Science Foundation to Dr. Robert A. Laing, professor of mathematics and statistics; Dr. Ruth Ann Meyer, professor emerita of mathematics and statistics; and Dr. Mark Jenness, senior research associate with WMU's Science and Mathematics Program Improvement project. The $1,035,999 award is the second installment of a four-year, $3.9 million grant from the NSF for a WMU-directed project to help school districts implement new middle school math programs designed to boost student achievement.
The NSF also awarded $476,790 to Dr. Arlen R. Gullickson, chief of staff of the Evaluation Center, to help develop methods for assessing the impact and effectiveness of Advanced Technological Education centers; and $106,303 to Dr. Jerry G. Horn, principal research associate at the Evaluation Center, to continue his work evaluating student achievement and reform efforts in science and mathematics education.
The efforts of WMU's Center for Disability Services received $823,980 from Kalamazoo Community Mental Health Services to continue providing daily living, communication, behavior control and social skill services to developmentally disabled adults.
Grants received in June
A number of grants from the U.S. Department of Education, included a previously announced $382,589 award to Dr. Robert J. Leneway, senior principal research associate in the Merze Tate Center for Research on School Reform, to promote the use of technology in teaching; $$382,809 to Maleeka T. Love, director of the Upward Bound in the division of minority affairs, to support the Upward Bound program; $127,500 to Meyer and Dr. John W. Petro, professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics, to fund fellowships that will encourage students to seek a doctoral degree in mathematics; and two $100,000 grants to Dr. William R. Wiener, senior associate dean of the Graduate College, to continue his work in preparing vocational rehabilitation teachers and to support an interdisciplinary master's degree program in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation teaching.
The Society for Mechanical Engineering awarded WMU researchers three grants totaling $151,765. Dr. William R. Peterson, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, received $104,010 to strengthen the program's ability to prepare job-ready graduates and $2,500 to purchase SME publications for the manufacturing engineering department library at the Muskegon Regional Center. Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, Dr. Mitchel J. Keil, and Murari J. Shah, all assistant professors of industrial and manufacturing engineering, were awarded $45,255 to provide advanced design and modeling software for students in upper level design courses.
Dr. Eric W. Hart, senior research associate in mathematics and statistics, received $284,281 from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to design and maintain a Web site on the new "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" developed by the NCTM.
A number of grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services included a previously announced $250,010 award to Dr. Richard Long, principal research associate in the department of blind rehabilitation, to conduct research on pedestrian travel for the blind and visually impaired; $272,317 to Kathi Fuller, director of rural health education in the College of Health and Human Services, to continue training students to provide health services in rural communities; and $143,149 to Dr. William F. Jackson, professor of biological sciences, to continue his work researching the human microcirculatory system.
"The University continues to conduct meaningful research, public service activities and instruction and our success at receiving grants for these efforts bears that out," said Thompson.
Media contact: Marie Lee, 616 387-8400, marie.lee@wmich.edu