Provost's Briefing - November 12, 2021

Eastern Students Show Up at the Polls!

Recently released data confirm that voter registration and voter participation rates among EMU students increased significantly between 2016 and 2020. This effort follows a concerted non-partisan campaign by several University groups to increase voter registration and participation for the 2020 election.

Specifically, 70.6% of eligible EMU students voted in the November 2020 election, which is a 15% increase from 2016 and exceeds the voter participation rate among students (66%) at all comparably-sized universities nationwide.

These data were compiled by the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE), which is part of Tufts University, and they reflect actual registration and voting numbers among EMU students.

Engage Students Succeeding on Campus and Beyond

LaWanda Hollister, a student in Engage@EMU’s Returning Citizens Fellowship (RCF) program, was featured on CBS Mornings in a segment about Melvin Parson’s Seeds of Change farm. Seeds of Change employs returning citizens and helps support community businesses and entities through the produce they grow. Please take a moment to enjoy this video and visit Engage@EMU’s website to learn more about RCF.

2021 Best Colleges For Entrepreneurship In Michigan

EMU has been named the best college for entrepreneurship in Michigan by CampusReel.  This college recruitment platform analyzed earnings after graduation, student loan debt, and a host of other variables to determine what colleges and universities offer the best Entrepreneurship programs in Michigan.

Academic Service-Learning Roundtable Discussion:

The Office of Academic Service-Learning will be holding a roundtable discussion for faculty involved in AS-L teaching and practice! This virtual discussion will be held on Friday, Nov. 19th from 10:30-11:30am. Please come prepared to discuss best practices, tools, challenges, and successes in your teaching and programming. We would love for all who are available to attend!

To attend, please fill out this RSVP form and a Zoom link will be sent to you.

Call for Applications: Winter 2022 Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellow Seminar

Applications for the Winter 2022 Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellow Seminar are now open! The seminar's intention is to expose, engage and inform faculty on the study, research and application of integrating service and/or community-based learning into courses, curriculum, scholarly and/or creative activity. For many faculty members, the seminar becomes both a point of access to practicing experiential pedagogy and to the value and impact of collaborating with the community. 

The seminar provides a one-course release (for the Winter semester) and requires faculty to participate in a regularly scheduled seminar. This time and day will be coordinated based on accepted faculty schedules.  Submit your application by November 23, 2021!

Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns regarding the application or the seminar.

Faculty Spotlight: Creating a Culture of Belonging -- Video 2

We are proud to present the second video in the Creating a Culture of Belonging series produced by the Faculty Senate Task Force on Campus Climate, Race, and Diversity.  This video features students and faculty talking about what meaningful mentoring looks like, and exploring some of the challenges historically marginalized students face in the classroom, and how to address them. 

As colleagues and allies in the work serving EMU students, the task force welcomes ideas and feedback for how we can work together to continue to do better in creating a culture of belonging at EMU. 

If you have not yet viewed Creating a Culture of Belonging Video 1, it is available here: https://vimeo.com/606790992/d923a6570f

Another Record-Breaking Year for Eastern Faculty and Staff Awards for Sponsored Projects

Last fiscal year (2020-2021), Eastern set an all-time record for awards for sponsored projects.  $15,106,825 received from 126 funded projects! That was a large increase over our previous record of  $13,738,992 (2019-2020). We hope to continue to make gains this year and we are off to a good start!  Congratulations to all of the faculty and staff listed below whose hard work has returned $4,554,948 in grant funding so far this academic year. 

• Ethan Lowenstein, Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Community, Principal Investigator; Institute of Education Sciences, Subaward through University of Wisconsin, $169,779; Building students' environmental knowledge and engagement with local government through civic science
• Jamie Lawler, Psychology, Principal Investigator; Michigan Health Endowment Fund, $167,002; School-Based Early Childhood Behavioral Health Program
• Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Psychology, Principal Investigator; National Science Foundation, $149,919; MRI: Acquisition of Electroencephalography (EEG) for Examination of Brain-Behavior Relationships Across the Lifespan
• Danny Bonenberger, Geography and Geology, Principal Investigator; Wade Trim, Great Lakes Water Authority, $32,335; Conner Creek Corridor Historic Resource Survey
• Adam Briggs, Psychology, Principal Investigator; Great Lakes Center for Autism Treatment and Research, $13,000; Consultation Services to Great Lakes Center for Autism Treatment and Research; and Western Michigan University, $12,300; Consultation Services to Western Michigan University's Kalamazoo Autism Center
• Kevin Karpiak, Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Principal Investigator; Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, $10,000; Training and Technical Assistance Provider Application for Eastern Michigan University's Southeast Michigan Criminal Justice Policy Research Project (SMART): An Application to the Community Policing Innovations Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
• Xining Yang, Center for Health Disparities Innovation and Studies, Principal Investigator; AARP, $7,000; AARP Community Challenge 2021
• Nancy Bryk, Geography and Geology, Project Director; Troy Historic Village, $6,750; Historic Preservation Field School at Troy Historic Village, 2021
• Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, Psychology, Principal Investigator; National Institutes of Health, $757,220; PediaTrac: Web-based measure to screen and track infant/toddler developmental trajectories, Year 4
• Jamie Lawler, Psychology, Principal Investigator; National Institutes of Health, $445,500; A longitudinal study of self-regulation development: Effects of early life stress and impact on school-readiness
• Tsu-Yin Wu, Center for Health Disparities Innovation and Studies, Project Director; US Department of Health and Human Services, $435,784; Evidence-based strategies for navigators in Federal Facilitated Exchange (FFE): Michigan model for left-behind Asian Pacific American populations; and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, $30,000; Breast Cancer Education Module 2022; and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, $10,000; WISEWOMEN Program Coordination 2021
• Sarah Shea, School of Social Work, Principal Investigator; Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, $326,751; Research-based training curriculum for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents: Extension 9/30/2021 to 9/30/2023
• David Pawlowski, Physics and Astronomy, Principal Investigator; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Subaward through University of California, Berkeley, $51,123; Electron Impact Effects in the Martian Nightside Ionosphere, Year 2
• Siyuan Jiang, Computer Science, Principal Investigator; National Science Foundation, $50,009; Collaborative Research: SHF: Small: RUI: Context-aware Models of Source Code Summarization
• Joseph Breza, Psychology, Principal Investigator; Firmenich Incorporated, $36,000; Firmenich Testing Agreement
• Allen Kurta, Biology, Principal Investigator; Consumers Energy Corporation, $25,938; Habitat for the Endangered Indiana Bat along the Proposed Corridor of a Replacement Gas Pipeline from Chelsea to Ovid, Michigan
• Jennifer Tremewan, Financial Aid, Project Director; Ellucian Foundation, $15,000; Ellucian Foundation Scholarships grant
• Hitomi Oketani, World Languages, Project Director; Japanese School of Detroit, $8782; EMU Student Teachers and Student Helpers at Detroit Ringo Kai Saturday School
• Ellen Koch, Psychology, Project Director; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, $3,000; Leah LaLonde; Alex Maragakis Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a Tool for creening and Monitoring Adolescent Depression in Pediatric Primary Care: An Item-Level Analysis
• Jessica Alexander, Engage@EMU, Project Director; Ford Community Corps, $18,901 (award divided among projects listed below)
  • Megan Sterling, School of Health Promotion and Human Performance; Peer Health Exchange, $3,000
  • Wendy Wang, World Languages; Center for Success, $960;
  • Jamie Ward, Communication, Media, and Theater Arts; Alternative For Girls - Project 4, $6,000
  • Alicia Jones, School of Health Sciences; A Brighter Way, $3,000
  • Alicia Jones, School of Health Sciences; Alternatives For Girls Career Mentoring Program; #12, $2,941
  • Imandeep Grewal, Teacher Education; 826michigan, $3,000

Call for Applications: eFellows Grant Program

Applications for eFellows Grants are live! The eFellows program supports faculty and full-time lecturers in obtaining the resources needed to successfully pilot innovative technology-based projects that enhance student-focused instruction in course and curriculum. The program improves and enhances student learning and the scholarship of teaching through the integration of appropriate technology. Individuals could receive up to $3,000 plus $1000 in matching funds, and teams could receive up to $5,000 plus $2000 in matching funds. The application deadline is Monday, November 29th, at 5:00 p.m. and should be submitted through InfoReady. There will be three, virtual drop-in workshop sessions offered on November 9, 10, and 11 at 9:00 a.m. You can find the application and more information here. We hope you will consider applying for an eFellows Grant!

FDC Programming Call for Proposals

The Bruce K. Nelson Faculty Development Center is pleased to invite proposals for significant programming activities during the upcoming winter semester.  The beneficiaries of the program must be primarily faculty and/or lecturers.  We are seeking proposals for:

• sustained learning communities or seminars; 
• a series of workshops; or 
• hosting a significant one-time event

Awards up to $5000 per program are available, which can include an honorarium for a facilitator or speaker, honoraria for participants, supplies, travel expenses, etc. 

All faculty, lecturers and staff are eligible to submit a Program Request Form.  Applications are due Monday, November 22, by 5 PM, and must be submitted through InfoReady.  More information may be found on the FDC website. Please note that if you are interested in developing a one-shot program, or something that will not incur significant costs to run, you should contact the Faculty Development Center directly at [email protected] to propose your idea.  This particular call for proposals is intended for programs on a larger scale, where more significant costs may be involved.

ORDA, FDC, and Funding for the Humanities Discussion Session

The Faculty Development Center and the Office of Research Development and Administration are working together to support faculty in the Humanities who might be seeking grant funding, or fellowships, to support their work.  Although much of the grant world focuses more on the sciences, ORDA wants to find ways to support the work of humanists on campus, and perhaps to encourage exciting interdisciplinary collaboration.  The FDC is pleased to partner with Erica Goff and Jen Glass of ORDA on this idea.

A Zoom meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 15, at 10 AM, to pull together interested faculty for a discussion of how ORDA can facilitate getting them this support.  Please consider joining this meeting, if you are able and interested (https://emich.zoom.us/j/88110055409?pwd=ZU0xcFprNVp4VWNDV3d5ZGMyckR6QT09). A link to the Google form to register for this (preferred but not required) is here.

Eastern Administrator Selected for Aspiring VP Institute

Dr. LaMarcus D. Howard, Director of Eastern’s Disability Resource Center, was recently selected to participate in the 2022 NASPA Institute for Aspiring Vice Presidents for Student Affairs. The NASPA Institute for Aspiring Vice Presidents for Student Affairs is an intensive four-day program designed for professionals considering a future move to the vice president for student affairs position. Congratulations, Dr. Howard, on being selected for this professional development opportunity!

Eastern Faculty Work to Promote Transformation in Public Safety through SMART Projects

A new initiative led by Professor Kevin Karpiak, seeks to address racial inequities within public safety and promote changes to address them.  With funding from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, SMART will collaborate with Ann Arbor’s Police Department and Independent Community Police Oversight Commission, the East Dearborn Downtown Development Association and the Eastern Michigan University Public Safety Oversight Committee to help facilitate several community-led initiatives throughout the region. SMART will provide technical guidance and training assistance to the local groups to develop community-driven, substantive, and pragmatic changes in the way that policing and public safety services are provided by local law enforcement agencies.  Read more about this exciting work in EMU Today or MLive. 

Reminder: MI-ACE Networking Event

We invite any individuals who are a part of our EMU community and would love to learn more about what MI-ACE is, and network with other professionals across campus, to join us on November 16th at 3pm via Zoom for a virtual check-in and networking space.

If you are interested in attending, you must register so that you receive the zoom information for the event!

Annual Holiday Sharing & Gift Giving 2021

This annual program partners EMU and Parkridge Community Center to ensure local Ypsilanti youth receive a gift this upcoming holiday season.  Our goal is to provide 120 Ypsilanti children with a gift (suggested $20-$40 each).  Tax deductible monetary donations to purchase gifts may be made through the EMU Foundation’s Crowdfunding site.  New unwrapped gifts may be purchased and placed in donation bins located in the atrium of EMU’s Department of Public Safety (1200 Oakwood Street, Ypsilanti).  If you choose to purchase gifts, please register here so that you may select the age and gender of the child for whom you will be donating a gift.  

All donations must be made by Dec. 3, 2021, at 5:00 pm EST to ensure timely delivery.  In you have any questions, please contact Steve Bryant, Director of Diversity & Community Involvement at [email protected] or (734) 487-6790.

Carmen McCallum Appointed Director of the EMU McNair Scholars Program

Please join us in welcoming Carmen McCallum to her new role as Director of the McNair Scholars Program. Carmen is an outstanding fit for the McNair Scholars Program because, as an Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership and Counseling, she has conducted research on access to and retention within graduate education, graduate students’ mentoring experiences, and assessment and evaluation. She is particularly interested in understanding how race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status influence students’ graduate school experiences, and her work has been published in the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, and others, and she has received funding from the National Science Foundation to support her study of graduate education. Carmen earned her BA in sociology and PhD from the University of Michigan and an MSW from Wayne State University. Carmen will be stepping in as the replacement for Heather Neff, Professor of English Language and Literature, who is retiring at the end of December of 2021 after 28 years at EMU, including over 11 years as Director of the McNair Scholars Program. We are grateful to Heather for her exemplary stewardship of the McNair Scholarship Program.

Parking Structure Update

During this past summer and fall, ParkEMU was completing necessary renovations within the central campus parking structure, which resulted in the parking structure being closed during that time. Floors 1 and 2 are now open for individuals with commuter, Brown Munson, or staff parking permits.

During the recent construction work, it was determined that additional renovations are necessary to floors 3-5. As such, until the renovations can be completed, floors 3-5 will be closed to all parking.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ParkEMU by phone at 734-217-4892 or via email at [email protected].

Reminder: Submit a Digital Copy of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card

All EMU employees who have been fully vaccinated are encouraged to submit a digital copy of their vaccination card to the University, as proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status. This information is also critical to speedy and effective contact tracing on campus.  Some employees have already submitted information about their vaccination through the University’s portal, but your submission is not complete until you also submit a digital copy of your vaccination card.