Nearly $3 million in grants received
Jan. 24, 2001
KALAMAZOO -- Bolstered by the first payment of a $14 million federal grant, Western Michigan University received nearly $3 million in grant funding during the months of November and December, according to a report presented to the University's Board of Trustees at its Jan. 19 meeting.
A total of $2,947,781 in grants was received, bringing the total of grants received by the University since the July 1 start of the fiscal year to $8,161,778.
The largest amount received during this period was an award of $1,024,621 from the U.S. Department of Education, which is the first installment of a previously announced five-year, $14 million grant for the GEAR UP program. Led by Dr. Joseph Kretovics, WMU professor of teaching, learning and leadership, GEAR UP, which is an acronym for "Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs," will help prepare middle school students for success in college.
The Michigan Department of Education provided more than $469,462 in funding for five programs at the University. Three of these awards will increase educational opportunities for underrepresented minorities. They are:
A $121,634 grant awarded to Griselda Daniel, assistant to the dean of the Graduate College and director of graduate diversity programs, to fund fellowships for minority doctoral students;
Funding for $113,588 received by Donyll Lewis, director of the University's Martin Luther King, Jr./Cesar Chavez//Rosa Parks Program, to introduce minority school-age children to the potential offered through a college education; and
An $85,240 award to Marilyn Duke, director of WMU's Academic Skills Center, and Gregory Hilton of Southwestern Michigan College, to develop a model program using support and intervention to increase retention, transfer and graduation rates of African American, Hispanic and Native American students at SMC.
Among other grants of note received during the period was a $310,068 award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Dr. James M. Hillenbrand, professor of speech pathology and audiology, to continue his research into the mechanisms of human speech recognition.
The National Science Foundation awarded $139,045 to Dr. Johnson Asumadu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Ralph Tanner, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, to support a laboratory that will allow students to perform scientific measurements through Internet access.
In addition, two awards totaling $143,002 from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting were awarded to WMUK, the University's public radio station, to expand the quality and the scope of programs aired on the station.
Media contact: Marie Lee, 616 387-8400, marie.lee@wmich.edu