Research and Discovery News Archives

CollaborATE | CreATE | InnovATE | ElevATE | Feb. 27
The Evaluation Center shares learning regarding NSF Advanced Technological Education—ATE funding on March 31 at the Fetzer Center.

Spring Convocation 2020 | Jan. 14

Named Term-limited Professorships | Jan. 13
Renamed the Presidential Innovation Professorship for the 2021 competition.

2019

Dr. Magura begins role as research director - behavioral health in The Evaluation Center | Dec. 11

ORI Faculty Fellows Announced for 2020 | Dec. 3

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award | Nov. 25
FRACAA workshop offered on Dec. 5. Application cycle is now open for 2020-21.

$1.5 M in grants strengthen WMU's vision rehab and mobility programs | Oct. 30

Technology for Social Good | Oct. 2
An Innovation Networking Session

The Office of the Vice President for Research is now the Office of Research and Innovation | Sept. 17

| Sept. 12

WMU Partners with Kerafast to Facilitate Reagent Sharing | Sept. 3

OVPR pilots Research Workshops by Appointment | Aug. 14

2019-20 Discovery Acceleration Workshop schedule announced | Aug. 14

WMU secures federal grant to battle opioid epidemic | Aug. 12

OVPR search for faculty fellows | Aug. 7

Work by WMU may reduce US dependency of China for critical minerals | June 24

Generating Buzz: Regulating genetically modified mosquitoes | June 6

Two WMU leaders recognized as 'notable women in STEM' | May 29

Helmet sensor technology business created by WMU team honored for innovation | May 16

| May 1

Bronco Big Idea Winners Announced | Apr. 19

Haenicke Institute for Global Education creates expertise database | Apr. 11

STEAM Collaboration | March 28

Renowned Evaluation Center at WMU receives $4.9 million NSF grant | Feb. 13

Spring Convocation | Jan. 24

Common Rule Changes effective Jan. 21, 2019 | Jan. 14

Changes to NIH Academic Research Enhancement (AREA)/R15 Program | Jan. 11

Research Development Administrator | Jan. 7
Kay Mortellaro takes on the Research Development Administrator role, effective Jan. 7.

2018

Cover of W Magazine showing a woman laying in grass, looking through binoculars

Make a Difference Award in Research | Dec. 10
Julia Mays, Associate Director of Research Compliance, was awarded the WMU Semi Annual Make a Difference Award.

Workshop for Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award Available | Nov. 26
FRACAA workshop will be offered on Wed., Dec. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. in room 125 E. Walwood (Graduate Student Commons).

NSF CAREER Workshop | Nov. 16
Faculty Early Career Development Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty. Workshop will take place on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Fetzer Center, room 1040.

NSF Major Research Instrumentation Grant | Nov. 12
Recent NSF grant of $621,618 awarded to WMU and led by principal investigator, Dr. Clem Burns, physics.

Writing Winning Grant Proposals | Nov. 9
All-day grant writing workshop on "Writing Winning Grant Proposals" scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

| Oct. 15
Dr. Sherine Obare is named one of seven in cohort of APLU's CoR Research Leader Fellows.

A Bird's Eye View: Avian Mortality from Window Collisions | Oct. 9
Panel discussion with student researchers; Dr. Sharon Gill, biological sciences; and Dr. Gail Walter, Audubon Society of Kalamazoo.

Innovation Networking Session on PFAS and Other Emerging Contaminants | Oct. 2
Session to be held at the Fetzer Center on Nov. 7 for interested WMU research faculty and staff.

Bronco Big Idea | Sept. 27
Submit your big idea to the NSF and then share the same idea with WMU for opportunity to receive prizes and/or research award.

SFSA Preparation Workshop | Sept. 14
The Office of Vice President for Research will hold a free workshop for Support for Faculty Scholars Award application assistance, 204 Berhard Center, on Sept. 21, 2 to 3:30 p.m. .

Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Excellence Award | Aug. 23
Expanded title, revised guidelines and new online application process.

Discovery Acceleration Workshops | Aug. 23
2018-19 workshop schedule published. Join OVPR to drive discovery.

Grants and Contracts to Join Office of the VP for Research | Aug. 13
WMU seeks to provide the best organization and systems to advance their discovery driven mission and promote excellence in research.

Resource Network Announced | Aug. 2
The WMU Resource Network facilitates industry collaboration, technology commercialization, professional development programs and recruiting opportunities.

Chemistry Professor Wins NSF Grant to Study Bioinspired, Selective Anion Incarceration by Nanojar | July 31
WMU researcher Dr. Gellert Mezei has been awarded a $376,411 grant from the National Science Foundation to further develop his work with anions.

Multimillion-dollar Research Center Addresses Construction Challenges | July 17
Researchers in the Georgeau Construction Research Center are studying how to build better in an age of climate change and other global challenges facing the construction industry.

| June 15
The National Science Foundation announces removal of deadlines for the core programs in the directorate for engineering effective Aug. 15.

Opioids Innovation Networking Session | June 15
Office of Vice President for Research sponsors Innovation Session at College of Health and Human Services.

WMU engineer receives ADVANCE proof of concept grant | June 8
Dr. Daniel Kujawski is using the state grant to push toward commercialization a project of his that improves prediction of the fatigue properties of materials.

| June 5
Homer Stryker School of Medicine offers this event as part of a lunch-and-learn seminar series sponsored by Warner Norcross+Judd on Thursday, June 21, at 11:30 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room at WMed Innovation Center, 4717 Campus Drive. Discussion of the finer details of the patent application process, the importance of filing early, and the steps entrepreneurs and small business owners can take to reduce costs while still preserving IP rights. The event is free but capacity is limited. now!

New proposal submission procedure expected to befit campus researchers | May 31
Beginning July 1, researchers will be subject to a proposal submissions policy that builds in sufficient time for them to obtain the support needed to guarantee compliance with sponsor requirements.

WMU Received Grant for Summer Program | May 25
Two members of Western �鶹��ýӦ�� University's College of Education and Human Development recently received a grant to fund a summer mentoring program for teachers.

Dr. Calvo-Ochoa awarded NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology | May 21
Dr. Erika Calvo-Ochoa awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for research on studying mechanisms of adult brain regeneration.

WMU geology efforts lead to national recognition, two publications | May 15
The Geological Society of America has recognized two strands of WMU geologic research with the publication of two rare special papers. They are among just over 500 such publications in the GSA's 130-year history.

Gebremichael's Publication on Nile Delta Grabs Spotlight | April 24
WMU Graduate student Esayas Gebremichael's recent co-authored was selected as the Eos Research Spotlight.

Dr. Oh chosen as KSEA President-Elect | April 16
Civil and construction engineering professor, Jun-Seok Oh, has been elected as the President-Elect for the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association.

Proposal Submission Policy for External Funding and Procedures | April 6
Research Office announces new timeline deadlines for PAF and proposal submissions for external funding effective July 1, 2018.

Dr. Yan Lu Training at KAMSC | March 30
WMU biological sciences lab of Dr. Yan Lu as part of training for students at Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center.

GrantForward | March 30
The Office of the Vice President for Research is looking into options for a comprehensive funding opportunity database to replace SciVal Funding. Now through April 13, members of the campus community can sign up to try the GrantForward Funding Opportunity Search and Recommendation service and share their feedback on the product.

2018 Distinguished Research and Scholarship Recipients | March 8
Learn more about this year's scholars and listen to their words of acceptance.

Kennedy Center Festival Awards to WMU Faculty and Students | Feb. 5
English Department faculty member Dr. Steve Feffer was awarded the Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education.

Broader Impacts Workshop | Jan. 30
Presenter: Dr. Laurie Van Egeren, MSU Assistant Provost for University-Community Partnerships and Steering Committee for the National Alliance for Broader Impacts holds workshop on March 1.

Transforming Aviation Education | Jan. 26
Lori Brown, associate professor of aviation at WMU, has teamed up with Microsoft to transform aviation training through the use of Microsoft's HoloLens mixed reality technology.

Elsevier Cancellation Effective Jan. 31 | Jan. 24
Effective January 31, Discovery Experts and SciVal (Elsevier) will no longer be available for use.

Common Rule Changes | Jan. 10
The , the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects a.k.a. the "Common Rule" by the Department of Health and Human Services, was published on Jan. 18, 2017. The majority of changes will go into effect July 19, 2018.

Spring Convocation 2018 | Jan. 8
Schedule for WMU Spring Convocation and symposiums on mobility and autism, Feb. 23, 2018.

Application deadline for Support for Faculty Scholars Award | Jan. 3
Applications for the Support for Faculty Scholars Award are due by Wednesday, Jan. 31. Details on the submission process are available online.

Undergraduate Award application deadline Jan. 31 | Jan. 3
Undergraduate students have until Wednesday, Jan. 31, to apply for WMU's Undergraduate Research Excellence Award program, which gives students an opportunity to conduct hands-on research and interact with faculty mentors outside the classroom.

2017

Rutgers vice president to take research reins at WMU | Dec. 15
Following a nationwide search, WMU has named Dr. Terri Goss Kinzy the new vice president for research. Kinzy, currently vice president for research at Rutgers, will take the reins of WMU's research enterprise, effective Jan. 8

Two WMU faculty engineers garner MEDC funding for early-stage work | Nov. 21
Drs. Massood Atashbar and Pavel Ikonomov are among five innovators from �鶹��ýӦ�� universities to receive first-round support from the ADVANCE Proof of Concept Grant Fund.

Researchers' work puts WMU at center of national STEM network | Nov. 1
Drs. Andrea Beach and Charles Henderson launch an effort that positions WMU at the central hub of a network of national educators working to build systemic change that will boost undergraduate academic achievement.

Four candidates for the position of vice president for research | Oct. 16
Presentations by the candidates have been scheduled. All presentations are from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

WMU researchers get $12.5 million grant for school leadership renewal | Oct. 10
Two longtime school leadership researchers at Western �鶹��ýӦ�� University will use one of the largest single grants ever awarded to the University for a three-year effort aimed at intense school leadership development in high-poverty schools across West �鶹��ýӦ��.

13th International Conference on the Arts in Society, Emily Carr University of Art + Design | Oct. 11
Arts in Society invites proposals for paper presentations, workshops/interactive sessions, posters/exhibits, virtual lightning talks, virtual posters, or colloquia due Nov. 27, 2018.

Professors get $2.6 million to train English as second language learners | Oct. 6
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition has awarded a grant to a team of WMU professors.

Chemistry associate professor to receive Emerging Scholar Award | Oct. 4
Dr. Gellert Mezei will be presented the 2017 Emerging Scholar Award during WMU's academic convocation ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, in the Bernhard Center.

Three professors to be honored with Distinguished Teaching Awards | Oct. 4
Drs. Ariel Anderson, Louann Bierlein Palmer and Gwen Tarbox will be recognized as recipients of this year's Distinguished Teaching Awards during WMU's Academic Convocation Friday, Oct. 6.

Leading scientists and treatment practitioners slated for �鶹��ýӦ�� Autism Conference | Sept. 26
Leading scientists and treatment practitioners in the field of autism will share their expertise at the fifth annual �鶹��ýӦ�� Autism Conference.

Evaluation Center receives RO1 NIH grant | Sept. 26
Dr. Stephen Magura has been awarded a National Institute of Health grant for his project titled "Community Utilization of Evidence-Based Program Registers in Behavioral Healthcare."

Undergraduates Discover Discovery workshops planned | Sept. 11
New for 2017-18, a schedule of research workshops designed specifically for undergraduate students has been announced.

WMU lauded by Washington Monthly | Aug. 29
Western �鶹��ýӦ�� University ranked one of the nation's top-100 universities for producing graduates and research destined to make a difference for the nation.

NSF EAGER award lands at WMU | Aug. 28
Drs. Xiaoyun Shao and Pnina Ari-Gur have received a National Science Foundation grant of $111,834.

Researchers explore human-robot communication with Pepper, a humanoid robot | Aug. 23
Drs. Chad and Autumn Edwards are working with Pepper, a humanoid robot, to study human-robot message design logic, such as which robot messages are most motivating for humans.

WMU ranks 68th in business education research, leads way in state | Aug. 14
A recent study measuring research published in quality journals and research co-authorship ranks WMU 68th internationally in business and management education research.

Mallinson Institute receives $622,992 NSF grant | Aug. 14
Dr. Charles R. Henderson, director of WMU Mallinson Institute for Science Education, receives a National Science Foundation grant of $622,992 in support of the project to evaluate instruction.

Discovery Webinar Series announced | Aug. 11
The Office of the Vice President for Research is hosting a series of webinars at various locations around campus. No registration is required.

Discover Discovery research workshop 2017-18 schedule | Aug. 7
Research workshops held at the WMU Fetzer Center on various Tuesdays throughout the academic year. Lunch is provided. Registration is required.

Vandiver honored for research relating to ethnic minorities | Aug. 7
Dr. Beverly Vandiver, counselor education and counseling psychology, received a Distinguished Career Contribution to Research award from the American Psychological Association.

A virtual world for flight | Aug. 1
The aviation industry may be an increasingly attractive and viable career option for students interested in becoming tomorrow’s pilots and technicians.

Demystifying the universe | Aug. 1
Dr. Elena Litvinova expresses the mystery of the stars best through her research in physics.

Engineered for brain science | Aug. 1
Alexandra Ferguson seeks to blaze a trail into the final frontier of the human body—the brain.

Algorithms for life | Aug. 1
As a computational scientist, Dr. Fahad Saeed’s research projects are all about bigness—big numbers, big data and big ambitions.

Obare named interim vice president for research | July 6
Dr. Sherine O. Obare has been named WMU's interim vice president for research, effective Aug. 1. She replaces Dr. Daniel M. Litynski, who is returning to the engineering faculty.

Grants to WMU soar past $3.7 million mark in April, May | June 30
Grants to WMU passed the $3.7 million mark during April and May, bringing the year-to-date total for externally funded awards to more than $23.2 million.

Save the date for Fall Convocation | June 27
Plan now to attend activities Friday, Oct. 6, that include the presentation of WMU's annual campuswide awards and incoming President Edward B. Montgomery's first State of the University address.

Share the Story: Scholar Talks 2017 | May 31
Experience some of the ground-breaking work being done by WMU researchers and scholars.

NSF CAREER Awards received by WMU faculty | May 31

Drs. Fahad Saeed, Wendy Scott Beane and Elena Litvinova have been awarded prestigious NSF CAREER Awards.

Find your research program officer | May 31

The research office offers help with proposal development, submission and other pre-award activities as well as assistance with contract negotiation and development. Let us put you in touch with the right professional.

Theatre faculty member wins NEH grant | April 17

Dr. Lofton Durham, associate professor of theatre, has received a $6,000 Summer Stipend from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Dr. Sally Hadden wins William Nelson Cromwell Foundation grant | March 18, 2017

The grant will support publication of her forthcoming book on the forebears, formation and early years of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Stanford names two WMU students as University Innovation Fellows | March 1

Jill Puckett and Nathan LaWarre are among 224 nationally and internationally named University Innovation Fellows, a global program run by Stanford University.

Professor wins prestigious Japanese literary prize for poetry | Feb. 20

Dr. Jeffrey Angles, world languages and literatures, is one of only a handful of non-native speakers ever to win the prestigious Yomiuri Prize for Literature.

Four researchers awarded Distinguished Grant Awards | Feb. 14

Drs. James Henry, Robert Bensley, Stephanie M. Peterson and Jianping Shen were honored at the 2017 Spring Convocation Ceremony.

2016

Winter 2016 Discovery newsletter

Fall 2016 Discovery newsletter

The other potent greenhouse gas | Aug. 25, 2016

Carbon dioxide is often discussed as the driving force behind global climate change, but there’s another critical atmospheric gas made more potent by locked-in heat.

Degree research evolves into new company for WMU alumni in semiconductor industry | Aug. 25, 2016

Dr. Deepak Ravindra became a business owner at the same time he completed his doctoral degree through a unique collaboration with a faculty researcher focused on developing methods to machine extremely hard and brittle materials.

Multitalented microbiology student highly lauded for her scholarship | Aug. 24, 2016

Carol Beaver is already racking up awards and distinguishing herself as a scientific investigator.

Freshwater specialists keep fresh waters ... fresh | Aug. 24, 2016

Using a remotely operated underwater vehicle, an ROV, John Lutchko helps explore the subsurface waters around Traverse City, including in Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake �鶹��ýӦ��.