Funded Projects

I have written (or co-written) and administered several externally funded initiatives at Susquehanna University supporting student success, faculty development, and interdisciplinary teaching. Selected federal and foundation-funded projects are summarized below.

NEH Humanities Connections

National Endowment for the Humanities · Promoting Civic Discourse in a Polarized World · $83,820 · 2019–2022 · Co-Principal Investigator (with colleagues in English/Rhetoric and Marketing)

Funded the development of two linked, team-taught undergraduate courses in rhetoric and civil discourse, built around a project-based learning lab in which students partnered with the Selinsgrove business community. The grant also supported two interdisciplinary faculty-development workshops, open to faculty from Susquehanna and neighboring colleges, and a public-facing project website.

NSF S-STEM

National Science Foundation, Scholarships in STEM program · Building Industry Partnerships into STEM Curricular Experiences · $958,254 · awarded 2018 · Co-Principal Investigator

Provided need-based scholarships and wraparound support — including a summer bridge program, a dedicated first-year seminar, research opportunities, and industry roundtables — to twenty low-income students majoring in Physics, Chemistry, or Biology over five years. The project also introduced a tele-mentoring component pairing students remotely with STEM industry professionals.

TRIO Student Support Services

U.S. Department of Education, TRIO Student Support Services program · approximately $2.5 million over five years · awarded 2020 · Project Director / lead author

Established a new campus office at Susquehanna University providing academic tutoring, financial-literacy and graduate-school advising, a summer bridge program, a retention specialist, tele-mentoring with alumni, and emergency funds for low-income, first-generation, and disabled students, aimed at improving persistence and graduation rates.

Title III — Strengthening Institutions Program

U.S. Department of Education, Title III Part A · Promoting Student Engagement and Retention at Susquehanna University · approximately $2.1 million over five years · awarded 2024 · Project Director

Funds three new positions — a Director of Retention, a Director of Community Engagement, and a Transfer Student Coordinator — along with a part-time faculty appointment supporting project-based learning. The grant aims to improve student retention and graduation rates, strengthen a sense of belonging among transfer students and students of color, and expand mental-health support capacity on campus.

NetVUE Program Development Grant

Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. · NetVUE AI Fellows Program · $95,000 · 2026–2028 · Co-Director (with Carl Faust)

Supports a two-year faculty fellowship exploring the vocational and ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence. Two cohorts of seven faculty members each will examine how AI is reshaping students’ fields and careers, revise or develop a total of fourteen courses to address AI’s vocational dimensions, and bring campus speakers to lead broader discussions on finding meaning and purpose in an AI-driven world.

Grant-Writing Consultant

I also serve as a consulting grant-writer, primarily for McAlister and Quinn in Washington D.C. I have written hundreds of proposals for colleges and universities, K-12 schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations.