Grant & Award Recipients - 2021-2022

4-VA is a collaborative partnership between eight Virginia universities intended to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university. A limited amount of 4-VA funds at Virginia Tech are available to support special projects and efforts to explore feasibility of future research and course redesign. These smaller awards are intended to promote and support faculty activity around state-wide initiatives and Virginia Tech priority areas of focus that are not full research projects or course or program redesign or development projects but can provide valuable contributions or result in proposals for funding in either of these categories.

Azano, A., School of Education, Supporting Rural Education

Shugars, M., School of Architecture and Design, Thinking at Scale: GIS for Designers

VT 4-VA Shared Courses Next Steps 4-VA Intitiative, 4-VA Faculty Working Group from three 4-VA instititutions (VT, VMI, JMU)

4-VA is a collaborative partnership between eight Virginia universities intended to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university. Funding for Collaborative Research awards is provided up to $25,000 to support pilot research headed by a Virginia Tech faculty member collaborating with at least one faculty partner in a 4-VA member institution. This seed funding is designed to lay the groundwork and increase potential for proposals to external granting agencies such as the National Science Foundation, and National Institute for Health.

Afsari K., Myers-Lawson School of Construction (MLSoC), Robotic Education for Construction Students with GMU

Arena C., Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics (BEAM), Advancing Healthcare Solutions Through Engineering, Design, and Business with UVA

Behkam B., Mechanical Engineering, Overcoming Transport Barriers to Biofilm Therapy in Medical Device-Associated Infections with UVA

Brand A., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utilization and Beneficiation of Virginian Quarry Fines for Concrete Materials with JMU

Capelluto D., Biological Sciences, Design of a lipid-based readout system for rapid diagnostic of individuals with traumatic brain injury with UVA - Collaborators: Finkelstein C., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, VTC and Biological Sciences, and Kuehl D., Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Chung T., Computer Science, Rapidly Bootstrapping Implementation of DNS-based security extensions with AI-driven approach with GMU

Deagle C., Population Health Sciences, Comprehensive Community Capacity Building Experiential Learning model under the Vibrant Virginia Initiative

Duarte J., Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Engineering Program), Preliminary Identification of Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement Mechanisms for Improved Energy Efficiency using AI with VCU

Gao P., Computer Science, Towards an AI-Powered Active Phishing Protection Scheme with UVA

Good D., Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Use of an Acute Vigorous Exercise Intervention to Improve Academic Success on Exams in Undergraduate Students with VCU - Collaborators in HNFE and Recreational Sports

Higgins J., Center for Humanities, Crossing the Divide: Oral Histories with Marginalized Veterans of Virginia with W&M

Jazizadeh F., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Smarter and Healthier Buildings: AI-powered Smart Interfaces for Indoor Environmental Quality toward Occupants' Health and Well-being with UVA

Jin M., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Robust and adaptive deep reinforcement learning with UVA

Lin F., Chemistry, An Integrated Approach to Maximizing the Value of Coal with Low Carbon Footprint: Developing Advanced Battery Materials and Recovering Critical Elements with GMU under the Vibrant Virginia Initiative

Liu G., Chemistry, Ion Transport in Porous Carbon Fibers and its Application in Electrochemical Catalysis with UVA

Meyers R., Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Illuminating Complex Solar Photovoltaic Project Permitting Pathways with UVA

Murzi H., Engineering Education, Exploring Students Perceptions of Engineering Using Arts-informed Methods: A Multi-Case Study with UVA

O'Leary E., School of Performing Arts , Community Attributes, Music Achievement, Educational Attainment, Socio-Economic Status and Success at Virginia Concert Assessments with JMU

Ross S., Aerospace & Ocean Engineering, Epidemic Surveillance and Prediction via Public Domain Sources with GMU

Xie W., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Illegal Drug Supply Network Disruption: Learning and Optimization Frameworks with GMU

Zhu H., Chemical Engineering , Nanocrystal-Ionic Liquid Superstructures for Capture and Conversion of CO2 to Value-Added Chemicals with UVA

4-VA is a collaborative partnership between eight Virginia universities intended to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university. Proposals funded by other 4-VA institutions and naming a Virginia Tech faculty member as collaborator result in that faculty member’s eligibility for $5,000 complementary funding. Depending on fund availability, these awards are paid after the primary 4-VA institution notifies Virginia Tech 4-VA of the collaborative partnership.

Baum, L., Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), Energizing Scholarship of Teaching and Learing (SoTL) Production in Virginia through the Development of a Regional Community of Practice for SoTL Faculty Developers  with GMU

Catalano, C., School of Education, Reimagining the History of Higher Education in the Digital Age with GMU

Dorn, H., Chemistry, Targeted removal of senescent disc cells for intervertebral disc degeneration with UVA

Entrekin, C., General Engineering, Evaluation of the hydro-chemical and biological implications of a watershed liming in Shenandoah National Park with UVA

Lind, E., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Observing nitrogen dioxide air pollution in Dakar, Senegal with ground-based remote sensing with UVA

Martin, T., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Designing Wearable Systems for Movement Correction in Physical Therapy Applications with JMU

Moore, I., Biological Sciences, Molecular regulation of the stress response in garter snakes with JMU

Orr, D. and Loehr, N., Mathematics, Randomness by algebraic structures with UVA

Powell, K., English, Collating Refugee Resources and Initiatives at Virginia Higher Education Institutions; Strengthening Virginia's Avility to Provide Migration Support and Improve Refugee Population Outcomes with JMU

Shew, A., Religion and Culture, Science and Society: Forging Collaborations across the Commonwealth with UVA

Shivers, C. and Kleiner B., Human Development and Meryers-Lawson School of Contruction, Navigating a large network of social, informational, and instrumental support services: Uncovering the unmet needs of caregivers of children with medical complexity with UVA

Volpe, S., Human Nutrition Foods, Teaching elementary school-age children to recognize feelings of hunger and fullness with UVA

Zhu, H., Statistics, Developing Single-Atom Electrocatalysts for Biomass-Derived Fuel and Chemical Productions with UVA

Zuo, L., Mechanical Engineering, Enabling Wearable and Sustainable Human Health Monitoring with Integrated Energy Harvesting and Storage with UVA

4-VA is a collaborative partnership between eight Virginia universities intended to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university. Course Redesign awards at up to $8,000 per course can support the development or revision of programs or individual courses to achieve high-quality flexible or online learning experiences. Program level awards can be completed in phases over multiple semesters.

Courses

Gannon, J.P., Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, FREC 4114 Information Technologies for Natural Resource Management

Hogan, E. and Walker, R., Biology, BIOL 1105 redesign and update

Murzi, H. and Watts, N., Graduate School and Engineering Education, Contemporary Pedagogy

Program

Reading Specialist, School of Education, Reading Specialist Program fully online in seven-week course format

Develop, Redesign, Innovate, Vitalize, and Enhance (DRIVE) grants  fund the development or redesign of flexible and online learning experiences for Virginia Tech students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Brinkman, J., School of Education -  EDEL 6004 Theories of Educational Administration

Brown, A., Biochemistry - BCHM 5024: Computational Biochemistry and Bioinformatics

Dubinsky, J., English - ENGL 3764 Technical Writing

Hotle, S. and Hancock, K., Civil and Environmental Engineering - CEE 3604 Introduction to Transportation Engineering 

Jones, B., School of Education - EDEP 5154: Psychological Foundations of Education for Pre-Service Teachers 

Kolivras, K., Geography - CNRE GEOG 4074/5074

Meyers, R. and Orth, D., Fish and Wildlife Conservation - CNRE FIW 2514 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Policy 

Myers, C., Smith, S., and Watkins, B., School of Communication - PR 4414 Public Standards and Practices

VT Engineering Oline (VTEO) Masters of Engineering (MENG) Program, Material Science Engineering (MSE) - MSE 5054, MSE 5034, and MSE 5164

VTEO MENG Program, Nuclear Engineering (NE) - NSEG 5424, NSEG 5124, and NSEG 

VTEO MENG Program, M.S. non-thesis Mechanical Engineering (ME) - CORE BMNS ME 5034, CORE EES ME 5304, CORE EES ME 5314, CORE EES ME 5324, CORE RADS ME 5514, CORE RADS ME 5554, CORE RADS ME 5654, CORE DMM ME 5634, CORE DMM ME 5794, ME 5714, ME 5724, and  ME 5564