OFFICE OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH 2020-2021
Over 200 Years of Inquiry and Discovery
“Changing the status quo is yesterday’s business. Great leaders are driven by the need to do something to enrich their own lives and to better our world.” —Dr. Mark Anarumo, President, Norwich University, speaking at the 2021 Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity.
Office of Academic Research
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S INTRODUCTION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2 INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ������������������������������ 3 STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4-13 ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 BY THE NUMBERS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 POSTERS ON THE HILL ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 8-11 GRANT SPOTLIGHT �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12-13 APPRENTICE GRANTS AND SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWS ������������������������� 14 BOARD OF FELLOWS PRIZE WINNERS ���������������������������������������������������������� 15 FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 16-23 FACULTY PUBLICATION SPOTLIGHT �������������������������������������������������������� 16 FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT ������������������������������������������������������� 17 VERMONT BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH NETWORK ���������������������������������� 18-19 NEW EXTRAMURAL AWARDS ������������������������������������������������������������ 20-21 FACULTY AWARD SPOTLIGHT ������������������������������������������������������������ 22-23 RESEARCH IN A PANDEMIC: THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ���������������������������� 24-27 ACADEMIC RESEARCH CENTERS ���������������������������������������������������������������� 28 NORWICH HUMANITIES INITIATIVE �������������������������������������������������������������� 29
1 1
Office of Academic Research
INTRODUCTION
A
nyone who has walked our campus, taken our courses, or engaged in-person or virtually with our students, faculty, and staff knows that Norwich University is a truly unique and special place. It’s an interwoven community of critical thinkers, scholars, experimenters, designers, creators and in the spirit of our founder Captain Alden Partridge - doers. In this booklet, we invite you to explore the incredible variety and impact of the scholarship of our faculty and students since our bicentennial celebration in 2019. Despite the challenged environment of the global pandemic that dominated much of that period, our faculty, staff, and student scholars thrived. They readjusted and responded with enthusiasm to these unprecedented circumstances with creativity, innovation, adaptability, and flexibility. A snapshot of the amazing work of our university researchers within that timeframe was showcased at our first virtual Celebration of Excellence, which highlighted over 150 faculty and student research projects throughout an entire week in spring of 2021. In uncertain times, it’s easy to look for quick solutions and to give in to fear and divisiveness. Instead, over the past two years, Norwich University scholars showed that using reason, creativity, sound research, and data-driven findings to explore the world around them and ask meaningful questions was still possible. In our roles in the Office of Academic Research, we are proud of the work our colleagues are doing and remain dedicated to our mission to support Norwich faculty and students in their efforts to carry out original research, scholarship and creative projects. —Karen Hinkle, Associate Provost for Research; Lea Williams, Faculty Development Coordinator and Associate Provost Educational Effectiveness; Amy Woodbury Tease, Director, Undergraduate Research Program Director
2
Office of Academic Research
Institute for Innovation in Teaching and Learning Teaching is embedded in Norwich’s history, culture, and tenure and promotion guidelines, gaining increased visibility recently through the Faculty Development Program. In 2020, NU launched the Institute for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (IITL), which was kicked off in spectacular fashion by supporting faculty through the pandemic. The IITL functions as a place that provides faculty development for the whole professional—teaching, but also service and research.
What does “I will try” mean for the ITTL?
Dalyn Luedtke
Associate Professor, English; Director, Institute for Innovation in Teaching and Learning
Throughout our 200-year history, NUs professors have embraced the identity of “teacherscholars.” Even in non-pandemic times, teaching is an ongoing, developing practice. Disciplines, students, technology, and the learning context are constantly changing. The “I Will Try” mindset allows us to adapt and change to meet these challenges with innovationdriven, research-based pedagogical support.
How does the ITTL serve students? While faculty development is what the IITL does in practice, we do so in support of student success. We believe in engaged learning, where students and faculty are both active contributors to learning that connects with activities and communities across campus. The IITL supports this goal by helping faculty re-envision their classrooms as active, inclusive, and connected spaces, and by advocating for practices and policies that support student success.
How does the ITTL serve faculty? The IITL serves the faculty by providing ongoing support in teaching practices that are grounded in research and the use of academic technology, which is a vital component of the contemporary educational experience. It is a place where faculty can receive one-onone support such as peer review of materials, peer observations, and mentoring, as well as small group support and campus-wide programming. On a fundamental level, our goal is to provide the environment and resources that allow faculty to thrive at Norwich. 3
Office of Academic Research
“Our student scholars are ambitious, creative and innovative people with fresh perspectives and a contagious curiosity that drives them to ask questions and take risks to discover something new.” —Amy Woodbury Tease, PhD, Director, Undergraduate Research Program 4
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Access to Opportunity National Science Foundation grant supports higher education access for STEM degree students A team led by Dana Professor Darlene Olsen (Mathematics) landed a $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to increase STEM degree completion by low-income, high-achieving undergraduates. The five-year NSF-S-STEM grant started Feb. 1, 2019 and ends Jan. 31, 2025, and supports “Promoting Success of Undergraduate STEM Students Through Scholarships, Mentoring and Curricular Improvements in First-year Mathematics Courses.” Olsen is the award’s primary investigator. She’ll work with College of Science and Mathematics Dean Michael McGinnis, Lecturer of Mathematics and Coordinator of Developmental Mathematics Chauntelle Eckhaus, and Physics Professor Tabetha Hole, all co-primary investigators. Scholarships from the grant will support two 11-scholar cohorts, one from the Class of 2024, one from the Class of 2025. The program will award at least six scholarships of up to $10,000 to low-income, academically talented incoming high school students majoring in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, neuroscience, mathematics or physics for the fall 2020 semester. Read more at: https://www.norwich.edu/news/2085-norwich-universitynational-science-foundation-2019
5
Office of Academic Research
“I really want to make a difference in somebody’s life. If we can provide opportunities for low-income students to attend a great academic institution like Norwich, that’s awesome.” —Darlene Olsen, PhD, Dana Professor of Mathematics
6
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP BY THE NUMBERS
41 Undergraduate Research Travel Grants 42 Faculty/Student Apprentice Grant Teams 55 Grant-funded Undergraduate Research Students 66 Extramural Grants Awarded $24.8M Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows
Celebration of Excellence Student & Faculty presenters (2021)
148
International Scholars in Residence
3 7
Office of Academic Research
Posters on the Hill Six NU students have represented the school with their research in Washington, D.C. in the past seven years. The event, attended in person and more recently virtually by members of Congress and their staff, is by application only. In 2021, only 60 presenters were selected out of more than 350 applications. 2020
Halee Lair and Shawnae Evans In April 2020, Shawnae Evans, a neuroscience major and U.S. Air Force contracted senior, and Halee Lair, a biology major and Honors Program member, used social media to participate virtually in Posters on the Hill. They were the only students selected from a Vermont college. The two researchers applied, and were accepted, to represent in tandem for their project “Development of Cobalamin Drug Conjugates as Trojan Horse Molecules for Drug Delivery.” Prof. Thomas Shell, a Norwich chemistry professor, and collaborator from Dartmouth College, Prof. Jennifer Shell, mentored the students through their work. An award from the Vermont Biomedical Research Network, funded by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number P20GM103449, backed the Posters on the Hill project. In their research, Lair and Evans worked to reduce the harmful side effects that can result from chemotherapy drug interactions in mice. Using vitamin B12 (cobalamin) drugs to localize treatment to an area of interest, such as a tumor or brain tissue, they reasoned, would cut these side effects. Read more: https://www.norwich.edu/news/2533norwich-university-posters-hill-2020 8
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
“We both wanted to go,” Lair said, discussing the Posters on the Hill application during an interview. “I think we both came up with the idea to combine the poster and apply together, we were very determined.” We said, “We’re going, we’re getting this done. We want to be there.”
9
Office of Academic Research
Posters on the Hill (continued) 2021
Faith Privett Faith Privett, a political science and history major, had originally chosen Ruth Bader Ginsburg (one of her heroes) as one of three Supreme Court justices she’d like to independently research for her capstone senior seminar. She wanted to examine voting records to see whether the Opposites instruct. Faith Privett ’21 sought justices’ votes matched those justices’ perceived ideology. to prove it on Capitol Hill in April 2021. Her research was presented virtually at the event in April 2021. Her mentor, Prof. Jason F. Jagemann picked the opposite in the assignment— and Privett found herself researching Antonin Scalia instead. The research titled, “Clad in Sheep’s Clothing: An Analysis of the Influence of Attitudinal and Extralegal Factors on Justice Antonin Scalia’sDecision-Making Process;” challenged the what-you-see-isn’t-always-what-you-get notion of the connection between a justice’s politics and decisions. Guided by her mentor Prof. Jagemann, Privett tested Scalia’s votes on First Amendment, civil rights, labor unions, and privacy cases against his Segal-Cover score, an independent measure of ideology, the Stimson Mood Index, a measureof overall public mood in the United States, and custom public mood indexes. Read more at https://www.norwich.edu/news/3151-norwichuniversity-posters-on-the-hill
“What my data actually found was that in First Amendment cases and civil rights cases, Scalia’s voting record over the years was more liberal than it was conservative… In union cases and privacy cases, he was more conservative, but he still wasn’t as conservative as people expected him to be… As much as I dislike his stance on certain cases, I understood where he was coming from and why he was doing what he was doing. He was trying to uphold the separation of powers between the (constitutional) branches of power and keep the Supreme Court from becoming a legislative body.” —Faith Privett ’21 10
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
“Norwich’s presence at Posters on the Hill over the past six years is a real tribute to the culture of research and creative activity that we have cultivated at the university,” she wrote. “That Norwich is competing at a national level and recognized for excellence in research is remarkable. The quality of research that I see our students producing (in) the Undergraduate Research Program improves every year.” —Amy Woodbury Tease, PhD, Undergraduate Research Program Director
11
Office of Academic Research
Grant Spotlight: Department of Defense Cyber Institute Program Norwich University was awarded a two-year, $18.5 million grant from the National Security Agency as the lead institution to continue to develop the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Institutes at the six Senior Military Colleges (SMCs). This grant builds upon the grant awarded in September 2020, designating Norwich University as the lead in establishing the DoD Cyber Institutes to create a pipeline of qualified cyber professionals in current and projected critical work roles. In Fall 2020, the six DoD Cyber Institutes were established at Norwich University, The Citadel, University of North Georgia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Virginia Military Institute. As the lead institution, Norwich University will execute $4.25 million of the $18.5 million over the next two years. The Norwich University Cyber Institute Director, Dr. Michael Battig, will continue the development of a joint SMC integrated program enabling the development of academic, experiential (internal/external) and educational infrastructure leading to a talent pipeline for potential military and civilian DoD cyber workforce. Read more at https://www.norwich.edu/news/3402-norwich-university-receives18-5-million-grant-to-continue-leading-defense-department-cyber-institute-program
12
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
“I am proud that Norwich has been selected as the lead military college for the Department of Defense Cyber Institute. Norwich University is a national leader in cyber education and this grant will ensure that all institutions continue to prepare students to be the next generation of cyber professionals in many critical roles.” —Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senate, D-VT
13
Office of Academic Research
Apprentice Grants and Summer Research Fellows In 2020 and 2021, research questions were addressed by dozens of students and faculty mentors, covering diverse topics from Diplostomatid trematodes, Green Chemistry, Amazon Wildfires, Refugees, the Bronx Zoo, poetry, and the dairy industry to smart devices, flood resilient architecture, mathematical modeling of disease spread, and Brexit. For a full list of topics, apprentice grant students, and faculty researchers, visit: https://www.norwich.edu/news/1724apprentice-grants
Established in 2016, the Apprentice Grant Program is a collaboration between the Faculty Development and Undergraduate Research Programs. The grant program provides a valuable experience for both students and faculty. Students work directly on faculty research projects, allowing them to see the professional side of academia, conduct research, and contribute to the larger discourse on a specific topic. Faculty, in turn, get valuable help collecting and analyzing data, enabling them to advance research projects and inject new material into the classroom. 14
student and faculty 22 undergraduate Apprentice Grant teams summer fellows and grant-funded students 28 and faculty mentor teams
BoF Prize Winners The Board of Fellows (BoF) Faculty Development Prize is awarded annually to a tenuretrack faculty member or a group of faculty, including
2020 (deferred to Summer 2021) Allison Neal “The Ecology of Freshwater Trematodes in Vermont” Listen: “Norwich Works: Little Things, Big Problems” ft. Prof. Allison Neal https://norwich.podbean.com/e/ norwich-works-little-things-bigproblems/
substantial involvement of a
2021
tenure-track faculty member, to
Seth Frisbie
fund a creative, curriculum, or scholarly project. It is funded annually by the BoF in its role of stimulating and rewarding the university faculty for creative and pragmatic research efforts.
“An Analysis of Global Drinking Water Regulations for Arsenic and Other Naturally Occurring Inorganic Contaminants in Light of Recent Advances in Science”
Read: “The Long, Lifesaving Crusade of Prof. Seth Frisbie” https://www.norwich.edu/ record/3033-the-long-life-savingcrusade-of-prof-seth-frisbie 15
Office of Academic Research
Faculty Publication Spotlight Cara Armstrong, M. Arch, M.F.A. Director of School of Architecture+Art and Design+Build Collaborative has published A Trick of Living, a book of digital sketches and poems. The digital sketching adventure began for Armstrong, who also teaches classes in design and architecture, when she was issued an iPad as part of Norwich’s Digital Citizen Project in 2019. Armstrong started writing micropoems to accompany her sketches and a type of memoir combined with a phenology journal emerged. Posts of her sketches on Facebook drew a modest following and the attention of Big Table Publishing Co.
Norwich’s faculty publications and accomplishments are many and varied—read the full list at https://www.norwich.edu/faculty-research/ publications
re pts to reassu e g garden hos
like this ds joy in Stunningly ese short
g
Armstrong's s. Her vivid ks with the alive to the e of nonstop
ss pse of glim Gla with animals, n with poetry. ‘home’ is our
fi
Can Live
A Trick of Living poems sketches and
ng Cara Armstro
Background graphic courtesy of Cara Armstrong, and is a piece featured in A Trick of Living.
“Although not a true phenology journal, my writing and drawings are a record and reflection on what is happening around me, an exploration of home — birds at my feeder, life with three cats and a dog, flora and fauna in my garden and those of my neighbors and Camel’s Hump outside my window.Drawing and writing provide a sense of comfort, engagement even in social isolation, and celebration of interspecies solidarity.” —Cara Armstrong, Director, School of Architecture+Art.
16
FA C U LT Y S C H O L A R S H I P
Faculty Scholarship Spotlight Min Li, PhD Associate professor in the School of Justice Studies and Sociology earns Fulbright Award Prof. Li received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in social sciences for the 2020-21 academic year. The U.S. State Department and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board bestowed the award. Fulbright Scholars engage in cuttingedge research and broaden their professional networks, often continuing collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often support international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As a Fulbright Scholar, Li’s research proposal “Develop Quality of Life Measures in Chinese and Apply to Chinese Children with Cerebral Palsy” will be conducted in Taiwan. The research applies quality of life (QOL) measures developed in the United States to the Chinese setting. It will select and translate QOL measures from the PROMIS/Neuro-QOL items bank, then test their cultural sensitivity and acceptability among Chinese children with cerebral palsy. (PROMIS stands for Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.) The research’s results will contribute to the National Institutes of Health’s focus on patient-reported health outcomes and PROMIS international initiatives, ultimately improving the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy.
Read more at https://www.norwich.edu/news/ 2989-norwich-university-professor-earns-fulbright-award Dr. Min Li’s research reflects the very best of Norwich. By developing a Chinese language Quality of Life test for children with cerebral palsy, Dr. Li will have a real-world and culturally-relevant impact on children with disabilities. Consistent with Norwich’s institutional vision to promote internationalization, the Fulbright Program helps to advance this aim as the mission of the program is to cultivate international relationships to meet mutual needs.”
—Sandra Affenito, PhD, Provost and Dean of the Faculty 2017-2021 17
Office of Academic Research
VERMONT BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH NETWORK Three Norwich University professors each earned a $25,000 Pilot Award from the Vermont Biomedical Research Network (VBRN), formerly Vermont Genetics Network, in support of research for 2021-22. Norwich University has participated with VBRN as a baccalaureate partner institution (BPI) since 2001, which has helped transform the culture of research at Norwich. Learn more at https://www.norwich.edu/news/3096-three-norwich-universityprofessors-earn-25k-research-grants-from-vermont-biomedical-research-network
2020-2021 VBRN Award Recipients Natalie Cartwright, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mathematics $25,000 Won an award for her project, “Youth Firearm Violence: A Machine Learning Approach.”
Helene Sisti
Assistant Professor, Psychology $25,000 Secured an award for her project, “The Neural Dynamics of Real and Imagined Movement Using a Bimanual Learning Task.”
Connie Hassett-Walker, PhD
Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice $25,000 Will receive funding for her project, “Impact of Criminal Conviction & Incarceration on Long-Term Health & Substance Use.”
18
FA C U LT Y S C H O L A R S H I P
“VBRN is very proud to have Norwich University as part of our network, and we are excited to work with these new faculty to further enhance Norwich’s robust culture of research. We are particularly pleased to support faculty from three different departments as they bring a diverse set of skills and research ideas to our network.” —Rex Forehand, PhD, ABPP, VBRN Director and UVM Ansbacher Professor of Psychological Science
“With approximately $8.5 million to date in VBRN awards for laboratory renovations, equipment and supplies, and, most importantly, direct support of faculty and student research projects, our involvement in the network has led to strong collaborations across the state, access to cutting-edge research facilities, high-profile research presentation opportunities, increased scientific publications, and the securing of several competitive federal awards, VBRN has significantly and positively increased our scholarly opportunities campus-wide and impacted our international scholarly reputation; we look forward to our continued work within this valuable program.” —Karen Hinkle, PhD, Associate Provost for Research and Chief Research Officer and Dana Professor of Biology
19
Office of Academic Research
New Extramural Awards 2020 Tom Shell; NIH-VBRN ($75,000); “Development of Photopharmaceuticals to Treat Head and Neck Cancers Tara Kulkarni/Kahwa Douoguih; DoD-ERDC ($171,969); “Development of an Energy Track within Norwich University Center Global Resilience and Security –Implementation Phase” Sharon Hamilton/Phil Susmann; DoD-NSA ($430,391); “CAE-C Evidencing Competency” Karen Supan/Phil Susmann; DoD-NSA ($219,660); “Modular Microgrids in Cold Regions – Analysis/Requirements Phase” Sharon Hamilton/ Phil Susmann; DoD-NSA ($3,414,018); “Senior Military Colleges DoD Cyber Institute” George Silowash/ Sharon Hamilton; DoD-NSA ($290,932); “DoD Cyber Scholarship Program” Tabetha Hole; Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory ($27,736); “Wind Emission From B+B Binaries: Shocks, Collisions, and Suppression” George Springston; VT Dept of Environmental Conservation ($85,840); “Geological Mapping and Digital Data” Huw Read; DoD-NSA ($98,962.49); “GenCyber Camp: Norwich University Advanced Cyber Forensics Training Camp for High School Students” Huw Read; DoD-NSA ($88,047.79); “GenCyber Camp: Norwich University Information Security and Cyber Forensics Training Camp for High School Students” Tara Kulkarni; EPA- VT Lake Champlain Basin Program ($10,000); “Dog River Conservancy Outreach” Tara Kulkarni; Vermont Community Foundation-High Meadows Fund ($17,000); “Resilient Vermont Network Initiative Coordination” James Graves; VT Department of Labor ($20,000); “Vermont Internship Program” Amy Woodbury Tease/Tara Kulkarni; NEH-Humanities Connections ($100,000) and Davis Education Foundation ($138,917); “Building a Humanities-Centered Interdisciplinary Curriculum to Foster Citizen Scholars” Stewart Robertson; International Institute of Education-Project Global Officer ($162,377); “ROTC Language and Culture Training Grant” Darlene Olsen; NSF-S-STEM ($650,000); “Promoting Success for Mathematically Underprepared Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Students” Cara Armstrong; TD Charitable Foundation ($20,000); “Tiny House Community Project” Randolph (Danner) Friend; NASA ($72,500); “NASA Space Grant” 20
FA C U LT Y S C H O L A R S H I P
Sean Kramer; US Dept of Commerce ($53,494); “Optimizing restoration to promote ecosystem services in New York Harbor using ecosystem models” Justin Marriott; M&J Whiting Foundation ($5,900); “Enhancing teaching and learning through technology and innovative learning spaces”
2021 Helene Sisti; NIH-VBRN ($37,353); “The Neural Dynamics of Real and Imagined Movement” Connie Hassett-Walker; NIH-VBRN ($38,984); “Impact of Criminal Conviction & Incarceration on Long-Term Health & Substance Use” Natalie Cartwright; NIH-VBRN ($38,745); “Youth Firearm Violence: A machine learning approach” Tara Kulkarni/Kahwa Douoguih; DoD-ERDC ($223,895); “Development of an Energy Track within Norwich University Center Global Resilience and Security –Implementation Phase” Sharon Hamilton/Phil Susmann; DoD-NSA ($4,256,177); “Senior Military Colleges CYBER Institutes 2021” Henry Collier/Sharon Hamilton; DoD-NSA ($170,247); “DoD Cyber Scholarship Program” George Springston; VT Dept of Environmental Conservation ($56,738); “Vermont Surficial Geologic Mapping and Digital Compilation” Simon Pearish; EPA-VT Lake Champlain Basin Program ($10,000); “Dog River Conservancy Outreach” Kevin Beal; Department of Homeland Security ($714,004); “State and Local Homeland Security National Training Program” Cara Armstrong; TD Charitable Foundation ($20,000); “Affordable Shipping Container Homes Project” Tara Kulkarni; Vermont Community Foundation-High Meadows Fund ($15,000); “Resilient Vermont Conference for Summer 2022” Dan Morris; Council of Independent Colleges-Mellon Foundation ($1,000); “Redesign and Creation of Philosophy of Non-Violence course” Kris Rowley/Phil Susmann; NSF-Air Force Junior ROTC ($104,797); “Airforce JROTC Summer Program 2021” Sophia Mizouni; Face Foundation ($2,200); “Tournées Film Festival” 21
Office of Academic Research
Celebrate:
Allison Neal wins Vermont Women in Higher Education’s Peggy R. Williams Emerging Professional Award Allison Neal has worn many hats at Norwich University — biology professor, mentor, course innovator, women in STEM trailblazer. Now she’s had a crowning achievement, a statewide award for professional excellence. Neal won the Vermont Women in Higher Education’s Peggy R. Williams Emerging Professional Award in Oct. 2019. Neal joins Tolya Stonorov, associate professor of architecture (2016), Dr. Megan Doczi, associate professor of biology (2014) and Dr. Elizabeth Gurian, associate professor of criminal justice (2013) as current Norwich faculty to receive the award. Read more at: https://www.norwich.edu/news/2010-science-ofsuccess-norwich-biology-professor-earns-award-for-excellence
“Anytime we can highlight the success of women in any field, it’s going to make it feel more comfortable for the next woman who is coming up.” —Allison Neal, PhD 22
About Charles A. Dana Professorships The Charles A. Dana Professorship began in 1972 and is endowed by the Charles A. Dana Foundation. Created by New York state legislator and philanthropist Charles Dana, these professorships honor faculty who are leaders in their field, produce excellent scholarship, and develop innovative programming for the benefit of their students.
FA C U LT Y S C H O L A R S H I P
Page C. Spiess wins the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award® Page C. Spiess, a lecturer, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, fellow, Institute for Innovation in Teaching & Learning, academic integrity officer, Residential Programs, chair, Academic Integrity Committee, was honored with the statewide recognition hosted by the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce in November 2021. This award recognizes a woman, 40 years or younger, who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in their own business or profession; provides valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and who serves as a role model for young women personally and professionally. Norwich University had two professors as finalists—Prof. Spiess and Prof. Tara Kulkarni, associate professor and chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Management, director, Center for Global Resilience and Security. “I was truly honored and humbled to be a finalist for this award,” Spiess said. “The experience was made sweeter because I could share it with a mentor from Norwich University, Professor Tara Kulkarni. I would like to spend this next year increasing awareness of the many young Vermont women who are also leaders in their communities: who live authentically, learn constantly, advocate fiercely and act courageously on a daily basis as the ATHENA Leadership Model states.” Read more: https://www.norwich.edu/news/3467-norwichuniversity-professor-earns-statewide-leadership-award
Darlene Olsen recognized as Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics Darlene Olsen was recognized in 2021 as a Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics. Prof. Olsen serves as Norwich coordinator for the Vermont Biomedical Research Network and was the 2013 Homer L. Dodge Award winner for Excellence in Teaching. 23
Office of Academic Research
Research in a Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19
“I Will Try” in Research Norwich University senior Kpatcha Massina ’21 explains the value of research during the opening ceremony of the Virtual 2021 Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. (Screenshot from video/ Norwich University.)
The coronavirus pandemic had robbed Kpatcha Massina ’21 of his chance to travel to Burkina Faso to study food insecurity and film the documentary he’d imagined. Nevertheless, he was determined in a typically Norwich way, and no virus would crush his drive or dampen his fascination. “It was the only thing I did for about 10 weeks,” Massina, an international studies and computer forensics minor from Togo, he said. “I even started dreaming about my research.” At the opening ceremony for the 2021 Virtual Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity, Massina said his work had intellectual and presentational benefits. He’s shared findings at the Association for Environmental Health and Science Foundation and at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. He’ll present on nutritionally displaced women and children in Burkina Faso. Learn more at: https://www.norwich.edu/news/3106-norwich-university-celebrationresearch-creative-actiity-2021
24
Norwich University Perspectives Project: COVID-19 Brought to you by Voices on the Hill
• 28 articles • 29 faculty and staff authors • 6 weeks • 1 Goal: Keeping scholarship and inquiry alive during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic
“Over the course of the pandemic, Norwich University faculty have used their areas of expertise as frameworks to deliver perspectives on the COVID-19 crisis and its unprecedented challenges. What unites these voices is their emphasis on the power of research to shed light on today’s challenges and to formulate potential solutions to global problems. As teacher-scholars engaging students in research, it is more crucial than ever that Norwich University stand by its commitment to supporting faculty research and innovative curriculum development to prepare students to find novel solutions to the world’s new challenges.” —Karen Hinkle, Associate Provost for Research; Lea Williams, Faculty Development Coordinator and Associate Provost for Educational Effectiveness; Amy Woodbury Tease, Undergraduate Research Program Director 25
Office of Academic Research
Research in a Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19
Faculty & Student Scholarship Spotlight: Norwich’s WastewaterBased Epidemiology (WBE) Initiative Beginning in September 2020, the WBE Initiative tested wastewater from the Northfield Wastewater Treatment Facility and campus manholes to look for viral RNA, a genetic signal, to detect COVID-19. The testing works as an early screening tool because the virus can be shed in feces even when infected people are asymptomatic. With its project, Norwich joined a collection of universities and labs nationwide in using wastewater to test for COVID-19.
“What can I learn about it, what can I do to… help” — Samantha Gonzalez ’20, U.S. Army lieutenant, described taking wastewater samples into on-site laboratories for concentration and analysis. 26
Vermont Initiative for Biological and Environmental Surveillance
The cross-disciplinary initiative involves civil engineering, construction management students (to build equipment and conduct the sampling); chemistry and biochemistry students (to analyze the samples) and humanities students (to record podcasts and promote the project). Faculty included associate professor of civil and environmental engineering Tara Kulkarni, PhD, Communications Lecturer Stephen Pite, PhD, and Chemistry Lab Coordinator and Lecturer Marie Agan. Researchers Kulkarni and Agan have deepened connections with other Vermont researchers, including wastewater treatment professionals and state agency contacts to build a statewide collaborative, the Vermont Initiative for Biological and Environmental Surveillance, or VIBES.
Watch: WCAX-TV highlights Norwich’s WastewaterBased Epidemiology Initiative https://www.norwich.edu/news/3071-norwichuniversity-continuing-wastewater-research-drawscameras
“The thing about the Corps of Cadets is we’re very curious people. If we go out there, we’re popping manholes, setting the timer, getting the sample collected, and ready.” —Looknauth Mahadeo ’21, construction management 27
Office of Academic Research
Research Centers & Norwich Humanities Initiative Center for Cybersecurity and Forensics Education and Research (CyFER) CyFER is a formally established entity for the development of emerging, advanced and next-generation computing technologies. CyFER serves students and faculty through annual programming, undergraduate CyFER Fellows, and industry leader Advisory Fellows. From grants to research, publications to incubator projects, CyFER keeps Norwich at the forefront of innovative cybersecurity education and research. Meet the CyFER Fellows: https://www.norwich.edu/cyber/3014-people-of-cyfer Learn more: https://www.norwich.edu/cyber/3016-cyfer-student-activities-andresources
The Cybersecurity Research in Undergraduate Programs (CyRUP) CyRUP hosts students research projects based in their majors and concentrations. Mentors support undergraduate students through the process of academic research, and help provide guidance to publish in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Read more about current CyRUP student projects and peer-reviewed published student work: https://www.norwich.edu/cyber/3016-cyfer-student-activities-and-resources
CENTER FOR
Global Resilience & Security
Center for Global Resilience and Security (CGRS)
CGRS seeks to build resilient communities through interdisciplinary research and design collaboration. Featuring at NORWICH UNIVERSITY key initiatives such as Resilient Vermont, Environmental Security Initiative, Dog River Conservancy, Environmental Health, Energy Resilience and Security, and the Norwich Humanities Initiative, CGRS is a collaborative and innovative effort among key faculty, led by Director Tara Kulkarni and Associate Director Kaitlin Thomas, undergraduate researchers and CGRS Fellows, and a robust advisory board. ®
Meet the the People of CGRS: https://www.norwich.edu/cgrs/2784-the-people-of-cgrs Read more: https://www.norwich.edu/cgrs/cgrs-programs
22 28
JOHN AND MARY FRANCES
JOHN AND PATTONPATTON MARY FRANCES
PEACE & WAR CENTER
John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center
The John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center is an academic center of excellence for students, scholars, and practitioners seeking to advance interdisciplinary knowledge on the relationship between peace and warfare at local, national, and global levels. NORWICH UNIVERSITY
®
Programming includes the Peace and War Summit, NU Military Writers’ Symposium, William E. Colby Award, and immersive undergraduate experience such as Olmsted Foundation Field Study.
MAKING P
e Gam ry o The
EACE
NARRATIVE MEDICINE
TRUE CRIME aology of Geoarch
T LOSIE CIT S
ROCKS WRIT A N D
ING
View videos, news coverage, and audio of PAWC programming online: https://www.norwich.edu/PAWC Publications include the Journal of Peace and War Studies and Voices on Peace and War https://www. norwich.edu/news/voices-from-the-hill/peace-and-war
2021 Special Edition: Journal of Peace and War Studies The third edition of the Journal of Peace and War Studies (JPWS), which addresses the theme of “Preparing Military Leaders to Effectively Resolve 21st Century Security Challenges,” was the outcome of the seventh International Symposium of Military Academies (ISOMA), held at Norwich University from October 4-8, 2021. For this international conference, military officers and scholars from more than 15 countries submitted 44 papers, and all those papers underwent careful peer review. As a result, 17 articles were selected for publication.
Read the 2021 and 2020 editions of the Journal of Peace and War Studies: https://www.norwich.edu/ pawc/journal
The Norwich Humanities Initiative demonstrates the value and impact of integrating humanities-centered approaches to research, teaching, and learning within STEAM/ STEM and professional fields. Each year, team-taught Topics in Interdisciplinary Humanities courses provide students with the tools they need to engage with diverse perspectives and increase academic-community involvement. This humanities-centered approach gives students the tools they need to become storytellers, to communicate more efficiently and effectively with others, to ask questions, to think outside the box, and to engage the world they live in with fresh eyes and an openness to new ideas. In short, to become citizen-scholars. Learn more: https://www. norwich.edu/humanities
23 29
Norwich.edu
